Thanksgiving Day

Today is "Thanksgiving Day" in the United States. Over the years, this has been my favorite holiday. I love the notion of a group of family and friends coming together for fellowship. Perhaps it's because that notion was so absent -- or, more precisely, present but burdened -- in my youth. The idea of a close-knit family coming together is one of the reasons why I love the movie "Moonstruck" so much.

The name of this holiday suggests we are to pause and reflect upon what we are thankful for, and to "give thanks" for those things.

Note: I had always thought that the word "thanks" was a modern construction of "thank you." It only just occurred to me that the name of the holiday -- which goes back 200+ years -- implies that the word "thanks," as in "give thanks," must have been around back then as well.

I am blessed in many, many ways. I am thankful -- though not as sincerely thankful as perhaps I ought be -- for those things.

And though I don't agree with you on many things, and I will never forgive you for thrashing me on the chessboard, I am thankful for you, good friend. :-)