Americans have much to give thanks for

Although this space should today probably be used to convey some thoughts on Thanksgiving, I'm in no mood to tell anyone what they should be thankful for.

The truth is, giving thanks - and I mean the sincere, heartfelt, dear God thanks - is far too personal to put into some generic category.

Let me give you a goofy example.

I was taking a shower the other day and for some reason I was struck by how fortunate I was to have the luxury of hot water.

Now that in itself is not something that would drive you to your knees to thank the good Lord for the hot water.

But the reality is that millions upon millions of people can only dream of this luxury. And yet, if you're like me, you never honestly give it a passing thought.

We can all examine our lives and find ample reason to give thanks.

Despite loss and regret, despite failing health and disappointments, despite setbacks and mistakes, we can still find reason to give thanks.

It's easy to give thanks for the big ticket items - family, friends, health, security, etc. But beyond these obvious items, we can each count hundreds if not thousands of reasons each day to give thanks.

But I'm not about to tell you what in your life should motivate you to give thanks. That is far above my pay grade.

The truth is, I can only give thanks for those blessing in my life. And the same applies to you.

Families across the nation will gather this week and hopefully pause to give thanks for those aspects of their lives that should be noted.

And even if you can't gather, you can still take the time to recognize that for which you are thankful.

In some ways - OK, I'm talking political - this was not a banner year. But still we are blessed with freedoms and opportunities that others can only dream of.

You don't have to bow your head or get on your knees. You just have to pause and genuinely reflect on the blessings that abound in your life.

It is neither complex nor complicated. But it is appropriate.