Being thankful for more than just things

As we prepare to give thanks this holiday, there are no doubt a number of things on our minds.

We’re sure to give thanks for the things we always do: Family. Friends. Our community. The good things in our lives. And well we should. You can’t put a price tag on good blessings, and it’s a shame we don’t have more than one day a year specifically set aside to give thanks for such things.

The focus of Thanksgiving is usually things — whether it's material things like a nice home or a Nintendo Wii; or more important things, like good friends and loved ones. But we ought to be thankful for more than that. For there is more to life than simply things. This Thanksgiving, I’m trying to take time to appreciate some of the unique abilities that we share as human beings.

For instance, I am thankful for the ability to love. Without this, our spouses wouldn’t matter. Neither would our kids, or our parents, or any of our family. We would have no friends — just a collection of recognizable faces. But because we have the ability to love, our lives can be enriched by special people all around us. I know mine is.

I am thankful for the ability to think. While all animals have brains, and thus have some ability to process information, none have the ability of rational thought that we humans do. It’s because we can think that we can determine right from wrong, and choose the path that will bring us the most safety, the most joy, or the most comfort. It’s because we can think that we aren’t all mindless zombies, ambling down an aimless path. I’m thankful for that.

I am thankful for the ability to learn. Because we can learn, our lot in life is never set in stone. Whether it’s the basics, like reading and writing; or occupational skills, like teaching or healing; or simply personal betterment, like singing or cooking; the ability to learn is what allows us to enhance our lives. It’s something to be thankful for.

I am thankful for the ability to see, hear, taste and smell. Imagine not being able to see a sunset, or hear for favorite song, or taste a dessert, or smell a campfire. How completely pointless life would be without these kind of abilities. I’m thankful to be able to do all four.

I am thankful for the ability to forgive. It’s not always easy to exercise this ability, but doing so is sometimes the only way to remain sane. Though the seduction of a grudge is powerful, forgiving is one of the most liberating things to be able to do. I regret that I’m not able to do it more often; but when I do, I’m thankful for it.

I am thankful for the ability to feel. Though I’d rather not ever feel sad or angry, I know that the only reason I ever feel that way sometimes is because other times, I’ve felt so happy or content. With feelings, you either take them all, or take none of them. And I think life is a lot better with he ability to feel.

I am thankful for the ability to have faith. While some people are more religious than others, I think even the most agnostic among us still believe in a better tomorrow. And that, to me, is what faith is all about. It’s about believing that no matter how things are today, there’s a chance tomorrow could be better. I’m glad I’m able to have faith in my life.

I am thankful for the ability to be thankful. That’s really what this is all about. Without the unique, innate set of abilities we all possess as humans, nothing else would really matter. It’s only because of these abilities that our life has meaning, depth and value.

And the great thing about all these abilities is that we’ll always have them, regardless of the fortunes or misfortunes of our lives. Some of us may have lost jobs in this past year. Some of us may have lost loved ones. Some of us may have been wronged in any number of ways.

But we can all still love. We can think, and learn. We can see, hear, taste and smell. We can feel. We can forgive. And we can all still hope.

And all that is something to be truly thankful for.