Take a Moment to be Thankful--I Will

Here on the eve of that All American Food Fest called Thanksgiving Day, instead of exploring the world of myths, I'm pondering some "truths" for which I am deeply grateful.

Thanksgiving is not only an opportunity to indulge your love for all things starchy and gravy, thereby inducing the infamous "turkey coma," but also a day for which we should pause and ponder the good fortune of our lives.

This year, perhaps we can all be thankful that the election mayhem is well and truly over. The election commercials have ceased clogging the airwaves. PAC's are no longer stalking our  home phones. And everyone can resume normal life, as we know it.

Then there is our great good fortune to live in this country. All politics aside, we are fortunate to live in the ol' USofA. We can walk our streets in relative safety, no need to fear the whine of incoming missiles. We can go to the local store and are offered a variety of goods that would stagger some. We can worship our higher power of choice without fear of another groups attempting to obliterate us from the face of the earth. We can pursue whatever level of education or knowledge we choose without someone censoring our information or trying to kill us for reaching above our station/race/sex. The list in my heart goes on, but these stand out and I am thankful.

More personally, I am thankful for the multitude of blessings this year. I remain in good health as do all members of my family, far and wide. My son and new daughter-in-law will be blessing our family with a grand-daughter in the coming year. My writing continues to improve and my novella was accepted for publication - Collector's Item coming out in 2013. I have broadened my base of friends and have connected with a wonderful group of talented women to create this blog - Words, Women, Wisdom.

And I continue to have the loving support of a wonderful man, my husband of sixteen years.

So, take a moment tomorrow, before you dive into that Thanksgiving Bonanza and count your blessings. I guarantee it will make the meal all the sweeter.

Happy Thanksgiving and Blessed Be!

Denise Golinowski is a reader and writer of fantasy and romance. Her first enovella, The Festival of the Flowers: The Courtesan and the Scholar is available now through the Wild Rose Press. Her second enovella, Collector's Item will also be published by The Wild Rose Press in 2013. You can also visit her blog at Golinowski's Gambol.