Another day. Or, ANOTHER DAY!!!

It's Thanksgiving. That one day a year that we formally set aside to acknowledge all for which we're thankful.

I think somewhere in the Blogland bylaws there's a requirement that you rattle off the things you're grateful for on this day. I won't buck the system. I'll do the same. But I'll keep it relatively simple. I'll limit it to a single sentence.

I'm thankful for today.

This is where things get complicated. The above sentence carries double meaning.

First, it means that I'm thankful to have a day set aside in which we can take a break from our routines, get together with loved ones and declare thanks. I like that. The cranberries and Thursday football aren't bad either.

I have so many things to be thankful for -- my mother, my girlfriend (Greatest Girlfriend Ever), her family, my dogs, my friends, my health and that of loved ones, my talents and abilities, my financial situation, my house, my....

There are way too many things for me to mention. I am obscenely blessed. I'm thankful for that. But not just today. I'm thankful for these things each day and I try to acknowledge as much.

Secondly, I'm thankful just to have another day. To be able to rise and, um, shine and enjoy or endure all that God has in store for me.

That's the thing that might be easiest to take for granted. It's so simple. Happens everyday. Every day. Without fail to this point. So it's easy to forget that another day isn't promised to us.

I try not to forget that. I don't mean to sound self-righteous in saying that. But I learned long ago not to expect anything from this life, not to take anything for granted. Maybe having your father die when you're 4 does that to you.

That's not to say that I'm immune from falling into the same trappings that trip us all. That days or events or people don't intersect my life without me appreciating them in the moment. I try not to. Hence the title of this blog.

Remember the gift. At a later time I'll delve into why I chose the blog title I did. But the abridged version goes something like this: Everything we have is a gift. It's our responsibility to make the most of it.

And be thankful for it.

I am.

Everyday.