It is Especially Wise to Be Thankful in Times of Need

Today is Thanksgiving Day, one of my absolute favorite days on the American calendar.  It is a time for everyone to give thanks.  It is not about what divides us but about what unites us.  It is also not about patriotism or how one does or does not love their country.  It is about giving thanks for what we have.
 I have had a year of ups and downs.  Which is an understatement, but then, when things get really tough, words often fail to capture the scope of that.  Despite a recent diagnosis with a devastating personal illness, there is much for me to be very thankful for.  First and foremost what I have learned in the past couple of months is that I am most definitely not alone in this.  I knew that I had family and friends and that I would not be left on a street corner to fend for myself.  I had a baseline level of expectation that I would get help, both medically and with the responsibilities that I would ordinarily do but am temporarily unable to keep up with.  What has caused my soul to both cry and sour is just how much more than that I have received from people both near and far.  Words cannot express how much my spirit has been buoyed up by these continuous acts of kindness that keep me focused on living each day with hope.  Thank you so much.