Learning what it means to really be thankful

This is the time of year when, back in grade school, teachers always used to give us the “write about what you’re thankful for” assignment.

I always dutifully completed the assignment, naming things like family, friends and teachers. I was thankful for all those things of course — and still am — yet when I was in elementary school, I don’t think I was old enough to truly understand what it meant to really be thankful for something.

That’s a wisdom that I have only begun to achieve in the past few years. Being thankful is about more than simply acknowledging the folks who have helped you out from time to time. It’s about a feeling of deep appreciation in your heart, the knowledge that your own little corner of the world is a better place because of someone or something else.

So I thought I’d take a few minutes to today to mention some of the things I am thankful for this Thanksgiving.

I am thankful for my clothes dryer. Just a few days ago, thanks to a faulty heating element, I learned what it was like to go several days without being able to dry clothes. I promise to never take it for granted again.

I am thankful for my DVR, for reruns on the Bravo cable channel, and for the creative genius behind for “The West Wing.” There’s nothing on TV today that matches that show.

I am thankful for the crowds at shopping centers this time a year. OK, so maybe I’m not a huge fan of the holiday mobs, but it sure is reassuring to see that even in the face of the “greatest financial crisis since the Great Depression,” life still seems to go on in some parts of the country.

I am thankful for Zaxby’s. I’m usually a little reluctant to give too many plugs to individual businesses in this space, but Zaxby’s is too good to not mention. I’m thankful they’re in Blytheville, and I hope they never leave.

I am thankful that I could buy gasoline for only $1.49 a gallon, about 30 miles from Blytheville Sunday afternoon. That’s a savings of roughly 37 cents a gallon compared to what the local fuel cartel was charging at the same time.

I am thankful for my Christmas tree, which we put up Saturday afternoon. A little early, for sure; but seeing as how we begin our Christmas celebrations at Thanksgiving, we have to do something to get ourselves into the spirit. I’m thankful that so many loved ones who have left us are represented on our tree. I like to think their spirits are with us during these festive times.

I am thankful for my readers, especially those who make a point from time to time to let me know they appreciated something I wrote. Writers have a need to know they're being read.

I am thankful for my parents, who I can always count on for guidance and companionship, whether it’s a trip to a historic site or a decision on what kind of life insurance to buy.

I am thankful for my in-laws, who welcomed me into their family nearly 12 years ago, and have been a crucial part of our family’s support structure ever since, providing services from lawn-mower repair to baking the world’s best cinnamon rolls.

I am thankful for my son, who at 6 years of age has a zeal for life that I will forever be envious of.

I am thankful for my daughter, who at age 9, manages to carry herself with a grace and dignity that I can only hope to emulate in my wildest dreams.

I am thankful for my wife, who is the most supportive and caring spouse a guy could hope for. I’m am thankful that I was lucky enough to have married my best friend.

These are the thoughts that I am filled with as we approach this Thanksgiving holiday. Like anyone else, there are challenges in my life; but at the end of the day, ultimately, I consider myself a very lucky person.

May each of us have a safe and happy Thanksgiving, filled with life's blessings.