A Pause in this "hectic life......"

(To my new friends from other countries: Thursday is the American Thanksgiving - a day set aside to remember the first European settlers in the US, who, with the help of the native Indians, celebrated their first year in that New World. What I write here is not meant to anger or confound, nor is it written to insult your cultures, but is meant to remind my fellow citizens of what we have there; how fortunate we are - reminding each of us to appreciate in some small way that which many in the world can not.)

To all of my friends who follow my life here, I just want to say Happy Thanksgiving. If you live in some other country, then take this opportunity to give thanks for what YOU have.

Each of us, in some tiny way, whether up or down today, is so blessed with riches and joys that, until you travel a bit, are impossible to appreciate. Yes, in other countries there are wonderful families, and friends - cultures that have survived and grown for thousands of years - there are daily reasons for laughter and reasons for joy - natural beauty to enjoy and incredible lives, lived. But until you travel, even the tiny bit that I have, you will never know the millions and millions of reasons to give thanks - whether to God, or god, or whatever higher power you give thanks to -(I have no doubt Who mine is, and truthfully, don't give a damn whom you choose to worship) that you were born in America.

The USA is not perfect, and our standard of living, at this time, may not be the highest in the world, but we are up there at the top of the list. And know this: our impoverished are not poor. Our poor are rich. The standards by which we measure our lives and culture are at so much a higher level - more sophisticated (sorry if that sounds snobbish, but is true) and each of us has more depth of opportunity and a more broad perspective of choices, than so much of the rest of the world.
On Thursday, give thanks- for what you are; what you have; for your families; your friends.

And then.....give thanks that you were born in the USA, because our resources and our opportunities are so much more plentiful than much of the rest of the world's.

Then, please remember to bow your heads and give thanks for the hundreds of thousands who have served - who gave their lives, their time, their treasure, to begin our country, to keep our country whole, to keep foreign marauders away from our shores, or to serve only to defend the principles of our foundation.

I have no depth of vocabulary to find words adequate to express my most sincere gratitude - to God, to strangers, friends, and family, for what I have enjoyed and now cherish so much. I am so blessed to have lived that old life, and to be living this new one.

Happy, happy Thanksgiving! God Bless America.