Our northern neighbors in Canada celebrate a day of thankful gratitude for harvest and other valued parts of society on this day!

This day was fixed to the second Monday in October by the following proclamation:

“A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed – to be observed on the second Monday in October.” – Governor General of Canada Vincent Massey (January 31, 1957)

Being a long weekend, it’s very common to hold the feast and gathering on Sunday.  But there’s absolutely nothing to say that it cannot be that another dinner together is held on the actual day!  So….dig in!

But while doing so, please take a moment’s grace to thank those who mean much to you and to reflect on your blessings as well.

I am thankful for those that I love and love me (especially two princesses and the lady that I love).  I am grateful that despite being hit hard, I am still standing and continue to heal and hope one day to report that I am as well as most.

Oddly enough at the gym, I have it heard it remarked more than a few times that people find it astounding that I work out as hard as I do.  To these, I say, that by the grace of God, I will keep at it.

Then I encourage as I encourage all around me to find the things in life that make you happy and feel whole and work toward these things giving your best and doing your best with a spirit of gratitude for the time we are given to live and thrive.  Each day, I make it a point to start and end with a prayerful moment grateful for the goodness and love that I have found along the way.

Maybe it’s a good idea that each of us makes a point each day to think on a thing or two or three that we are grateful for.  I’ll start.

1. I am grateful that having been prognosed as being terminal that I took it with a grain of salt that no one gets out alive and in many ways I am doing better with each passing day.
2.  I am grateful that my two little girls are growing up into beautiful young ladies who are healthy and very well mannered, loving, sweet and have a good sense of right and wrong.  I am happy in knowing that their higher education will be paid for whether I am there to see it or not.  And I am grateful that they love me almost as much as I do them.
3. I am grateful that each day brings more love, understanding and well being into my time spent with one who puts up with me lovingly and helps me to be a better man.  We have had our ups and downs with mostly very good things and growth.  With a spirit of gratitude it is my prayer that our journey will be long and loving in all ways and for always.

In God’s holy name, I pray these things with every breath I get to live.  Amen