As Thanksgiving Day draws to a close, I sit here, miserably stuffed and desperately in need of a nap. Even though we traveled a few blocks to my in-laws and created a dishwashing disaster at their house, my kitchen still needs to be cleaned and everything I drug out to make sweet potatoes and mac and cheese needs to be returned to their places of residence in the cabinets.

What little free time I’ve had today has not been spent on Facebook or my iPhone, although I did send some Happy Thanksgiving texts to my family and co-workers and one or two close friends. I haven’t surfed the web or checked my email (ok, maybe I did that last one a couple of times) and I’ve just now looked at the news to make certain the world was still intact. It is.

It has been the kind of day that you dedicate to family and the giving of thanks for the blessings of this life—and as it all comes to an end, I find myself wondering why it is so difficult to carry that through beyond the holiday season. Granted, beginning with Thanksgiving and generally ending with Christmas, we wrap ourselves in a blanket of goodwill and gratitude; we smile more freely at strangers, speak more kindly to those around us, and share more readily with those in need. We openly acknowledge how blessed we are, focusing on what we have rather than what we must do without. So tonight, as I fight sleep and decorate Christmas trees (as is my custom on Thanksgiving Day night), I choose to reflect on those things for which I am truly thankful.

Of course, there are all the givens—a roof over my head, family and friends, far too much food, a job that allows me to serve—but there are other, less thought of things that I need to bring to mind. I am eternally grateful for the hugs of my grandchildren, the delight on their faces when they first see me, and their desire that I sit between them at every meal we share. I am thankful that my children, and on occasion, my children-in-law, still need me and will sometimes seek my advice, whether or not they choose to follow it . . . and that hugs are always shared and I loves yous spoken at each parting. I marvel at the beauty of this world, even in what would seem to be the midst of chaos, and it fills my heart with a peace that cannot be described. I am humbled each time a family looks at us and expresses their gratitude for what we have done for them, and even though I would be quite content if Death took a permanent vacation, I am grateful for the privilege of assisting those who must deal with its arrival.

So for hugs and laughter, for shining eyes and momentary delights, for beauty and love and the opportunity to serve, I am thankful. For those who give of their time and talents to help make this world a better place, I am thankful. And for each person who has passed through my life, be it for good or ill, I am thankful. In all things and in all people, may I continually look for the good, knowing there will be times when I must search deeply to uncover it. And may I never take for granted one second of any day. They are all important, and bound together they will equal a lifetime. May I strive to make it a lifetime worth remembering.

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