By Nancy Stoops

My last Thanksgiving was about as great as a Thanksgiving can be. I was surrounded by the people I love the most. The day was spent telling stories, eating great food, laughing and enjoying each other.

We had four generations of life celebrating with us. My grandchildren really made the celebration special and always make me feel so blessed. I sat and marveled at the wonderful man that my son has grown into. And my wonderful mother; I was so happy and thankful that my mom was still alive to help us celebrate another wonderful family holiday.

I have always loved Thanksgiving, but I need people to realize we should feel thankful each and every day of our lives.

The morning after Thanksgiving, Midnight and I went for our daily run. The air was so very crisp and clean, and the music on my MP3 player delighted every fiber of my being. Every once in awhile during the run Midnight would look up at me with such gratitude and joy, and I would pat his head and tell him what a good dog he is and how much I love him. It was literally a perfect morning and I felt so alive and filled with such thankfulness.

I think we need to work on really appreciating what we have and how very blessed we truly are. Take this holiday season slow and savor each and every moment.

As you start to think about New Year’s resolutions, think about making them about being thankful every day, not just one day a year. Think about all that is so very right about your life. Take just a few minutes as you read this article to realize how very blessed you are and that every day is a new chance to start over and to appreciate all the good.

I hope to see more and more people hopeful and thankful for the very rare and wonderful journey we call life.

This article was written by Nancy Stoops M.A., M.F.T. Nancy is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She has a private practice in Diamond Bar and is currently accepting new clients. Nancy is also a motivational speaker who can inspire your employees or group members. She runs free family support groups, a group on loss for seniors, and groups on how to manage anger. For more information about any of these services, feel free to contact Nancy at (909) 229-0727; or you may e-mail her at stoopsshecter@earthlink.net. You may purchase Nancy’s books, Live Heal and Grow and Midnight the Therapy Dog at Amazon.com.