a thanksgiving day prayer

My father, Charlie “Tremendous” Jones said this prayer every year at our Thanksgiving Day gathering: "Father, we thank You for our food, but Lord, if we had no food, we would want to thank You just the same. Because we aren’t thankful just for what You give us, we are thankful most of all for the privilege of learning to be thankful." It’s easy to love your friends, difficult to love your enemies. It’s easy to be thankful when things are going well, tough to be thankful when things are not. If love is the greatest force in the universe, then I’d have to say thankfulness has to be a very close second. Both of these ideals stand alone, and in their purest unconditional form free from person, possession or circumstance. They just are. Cicero said, “A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues.” Gratitude, like failure, is one of the great spices of life, enriching the experience and adding flavor to the daily gruel we are served. The best things in life put you on an infinite loop. The more I give the more I receive. I can reflect love in a limitless capacity by simply giving it. I can create thankfulness just through the simple act of being thankful. So take a break this Thanksgiving Day and repeat the above prayer. Forget listing all the things and people you have in your life and just rejoice in the growing awareness that your heart has the privilege of thankfulness.