Counting my blessings
A former professor and later friend, Dr. Karl A. Olsson, once described Thanksgiving as the season of the year when we celebrate God's bounty by seeing how much of it we can consume in a single sitting.
I suspect there won't be as much of that this Thanksgiving weekend. Too many people are out of work, and the ones still holding jobs are much more concerned about limiting their spending. But we will still be thankful, at least in part because we have an income and are able to put a nice dinner on the table. Many people around us won't be able to say that.
Citi Corp. will be laying off 53,000 employees, over 1000 for each state in the nation. Many of us still have jobs, and for that we will be thankful. The unemployment rate is inching toward 10%, meaning a lot of people have little or no income, but compared to the Great Depression, when unemployment was around 25%, it's not bad. For that, we give thanks.
Hundreds of people have lost their homes in California wild fires, while we still have ours. Hundreds of thousands more across the country are facing foreclosure on their mortgages. But most of us remain fairly secure.
I live on a modest pension and Social Security, not a whole lot, but my pension is protected from the fluctuating economy. I'm thankful I'm not in a 401(k), as are many of my friends, who have seen their retirement dreams turn into nightmares in a very short time.
It bothers me, however, that so much of my gratefulness on days like Thanksgiving is triggered by an awareness of the needs of people less fortunate. That's not the only reason why I'm thankful, but it is a noticeable part of it.
My list of blessings is almost endless - my parental family; my wife, children, and granddaughter; friends; my career; my opportunity to write and to carve; food and clothing; the retirement community in which I live; my faith and the presence of God in my life; my health. I could go on and on.
These are all worth celebrating; but, without being confronted with the needs of others, I have a disturbing tendency to take my blessings for granted. Even worse, is the idea that I've been spared because I'm somehow more deserving. I don't know why some are spared and some are not, but I know that my own virtue isn't one of those reasons.
Our family has tightened our belts and become much more conscious of how much we spend and on what we spend it. We're nervous about the future, like everyone else.
Yet in the end I am blessed - we are blessed. As another friend of mine frequently said, "God blesses us so we can be a blessing to others." I hope we, and you, can bless the increased number of people who will really need a blessing this holiday season. The Salvation Army, Toys for Tots, and a host of other charitable efforts will bless us for our faithfulness. So will the many people into whose bleak holiday season we've brought at least a little joy.