Happy Thanksgiving to All!
Or, as my Texas friends would say: “Happy Thanksgiving Y’all” (I have to admit the y’all works especially well with this holiday.)
Thanksgiving has always been a Favorite holiday of mine with the Fabulous F’s: the Fall (the best time of the year in the Midwest), the Family (especially when joined by my siblings and their families from out of town), the Football (though the annual family football game is sadly ancient history) and the Freedom from work or obligation (the only non-weekend, non-vacation consecutive days off for many all year long).
It’s also a great time for reflecting on how darn good we all have it (despite our tendency to whine about mundane stuff like the traffic, the weather and how hungry we are when we just ate a couple of hours ago). While gratitude should be a 365-day exercise, Thanksgiving helps us focus on being appreciative about what we have over what we lack.
So, consistent with tradition I have complied a list of things I am thankful for this Thanksgiving – the list is naturally 10 (thanks to David Letterman’s great influence), and is likely similar to yours, perhaps with a twist or two:
- My wife
We men sometimes call our significant other the “better half.” In some cases, the reference is designed to joke, pander or curry favor. In other cases, it’s just the God’s honest truth. In my case, it is absolutely the latter. There is no human being I’ve ever met (and I’ve met a lot of great people in my six decades) who is more selfless, genuinely caring and supportive than my spouse- the hospice nurse. This isn’t a competition – there are no doubt many worthy contestants – but to me my spouse is a rock star.
2. My Family
I am very thankful for and proud of my family, especially my kids who are fantastic people who on a daily basis strive to make the world a better place. It’s also nice to have folks who will love and support you even when you aren’t so lovable at times – all just because you share some DNA with them.
3. My Friends
Friends are a huge key to happiness and I am honored to have so many great ones. These are people who actually choose to hang with you; not because of obligation or genetic material. They provide companionship, loyalty, humor and diversity in thought, knowledge and experience.
4. My Dog(s)
These creatures – past and present – provide a massive dose of unconditional love and have made my life infinitely better. They reduce stress, ease pain and demonstrate unbridled joy – a natural concoction of valium, opiates and morphine rolled into one without the dangerous side effects (unless you stick your head through the home screen door of a protective St. Bernard as my mother once found out).
5. Food
As someone who runs on the thin side of life and who often criticizes society’s obsession with the stuff, I have to admit that food is pretty darn good, especially if it is made well, paired with some form of cocktail and enjoyed with family and friends. More importantly, the absence of food really sucks. Just try to imagine if you are one of those folks who wake up not knowing if they will have anything to eat that day. Or perhaps worse, if the only food available was the liquid prep given the day before a colonoscopy.
6. Nature
It may seem cliché and corny to be thankful for the trees, mountains, rivers, flowers and such, but how much less enjoyable would life be without these guys to hang out with every day, just by walking around a park, a trail or almost everywhere in this world. Take a look at Mars (our next-door neighbor planet) and see how devoid it is of these things and how incredibly lucky we are to be a few million miles closer to the sun (but not so close that we all burn to a crisp). We are no doubt risking losing some of this amazing life scenery (as well as the sustainability of our planet) by our actions and decisions. I don’t get why the heck we all wouldn’t want to do everything within reason to protect the earth for future generations.
7. Democracy
Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, it’s a pretty great thing that we live in a place where you can freely express your views – even when what you’re saying makes little sense to others. While there are no doubt many things about our system of governing that could be improved to enhance democracy (elimination of the electoral college, much stricter curbs on lobbying, and changing the senate representation so that tiny states don’t have massively disproportionate power), it’s still a lot better system than most countries. I hope that folks on all sides realize the importance of maintaining a truly independent three-branch method of governing with its system of checks and balances to ensure that our country never becomes a dictatorship (as some seem to want it to be).
8. The Press
The folks who try to bring us the news have been vilified over the course of the last few years as evil and dishonest, and they have gotten many in society to not only believe this myth, but perpetuate it. Yes, there are some folks in the media who get it wrong and even, at times, intentionally distort the truth for political gain or to make themselves the story and advance their own careers. But most who work in journalism are good and intelligent people who bust their butt for relatively little pay. More importantly, they serve a crucial role in our democracy, keeping politicians honest, curbing abuse of power and often heading into war zones, at great personal risk, so that we know what is really going on. Take away or chill the free press and you no longer have a democracy. The many honest ones with independence and integrity deserve our great thanks.
9. Laughter
I am particularly grateful in these contentious times for humor – something that it is available to everyone regardless of race, gender, religion, age, or political persuasion. And it’s free. Show me folks who laugh a lot and I’ll bet the house that they are happier and healthier than most.
10. Cups
This may seem a bit odd, but yes this year I find myself especially thankful for all kinds of cups: the kind that contains a great aged bourbon or scotch; the type that protects the male jewels in sporting contests (as I learned firsthand this year how much it hurts not to have one on when struck down there by a vicious tennis smash); and the 34 and a half pound silver variety that was paraded around the ice and throughout the Lou after the Blues took home the greatest trophy in sports! For more on that subject get my book at https://www.amazon.com/300-1-52-year-Journey-Hockey-Championship/dp/1696000203/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=mark+sophir&qid=1574807236&sr=8-1 How’s that for a self-serving shameless segue?
In addition, a new color version (over 30 interior color photos) has just been released and is available (for just $2 more) in person at the best bookstore in St.Louis – Left Bank Books in the Central West End.
