Thanksgiving

They ate in silence, and after a few minutes Daphne said, “This
fish tastes wonderful, Doctor. In fact, I do not recall fish ever
tasting this good.”
“Now I will wax philosophical, Miss Farnham. Your hard work
today gave you an appetite, and that is the finest seasoning. This
fish is very fresh, and the onions helped give it extra flavor. I
imagine you eat fish in London covered in preparations from some
French chef who feels compelled to demonstrate his skill and
imagination with the saucepan. Sometimes, though, simple is
best.”

--Castaway Dreams

I'm pausing in the midst of my Thanksgiving feast preparations to reflect on what truly makes me thankful: Having shelter and running water and electricity, knowing my sons in NYC weren't battered by Hurricane Sandy, having my husband sitting across from me at the Thanksgiving table, being joined by new friends on the holiday and finishing the weekend with old friends.

As we enter the season of "Buy! Buy! Buy!" I will remember that at the end of the day, most of what I've got  is just stuff.  It's stuff I like, it's stuff that's pretty, and it's stuff I want, but it's not as important as health, family and security.

Here's hoping everyone celebrating the holiday today remembers why we're thankful, and carries that thought through the year ahead.