3 Ways to Share Gratitude This Thanksgiving

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and you're busy with preparations, so I'll keep this short. I could tell you the history of Thanksgiving as a national holiday (Lincoln) or the "first Thanksgiving" (and cause a riot). But more important than the history of this holiday is how we celebrate it now. Today. This day.

1. Family and Friends

What are you thankful for? Many of us, I hope, would say family and friends. Great! Have you told them lately? Between the cooking and the cleaning and the football and the shopping, take a moment to tell those you love that you appreciate them. Be as gooey as a warm chocolate chip cookie. They'll get over it.

2. Remember those who are alone.

There are many reasons people might be alone on Thanksgiving. Perhaps they are in the hospital or rehab, or they live far from family and can't travel for the holiday, or worse than that, they are truly alone and have no one to care about where they spend these holidays. If you can't invite the to your family dinner or Friendsgiving, as they call it these days, turn the leftovers into stew, make a fresh batch of rolls, and deliver them on Saturday or Sunday to that elderly person down the street.

3. Remember the other side of the coin

Some people are far from home for Thanksgiving, and some people are home and missing them terribly. I'm thinking especially of the military families enduring deployment this holiday season. Click over to Operation We Are Here to Adopt a Military Family this holiday.

There are many ways to reflect on our gratitude every day. You don't have to do them all. Pick one. Do it individually, as a family, or as a community group. However you celebrate, be sure to say Thank You.