Still plenty to be thankful for this year

Among all those electronic chain letters, questionable medical offers and Nigerian business proposals that clog up our e-mail inboxes every day, are occasional morsels of wisdom that are actually worth taking time to read.

While it's easy to worry about all the uncertainty in the economy, a recent example lists the following things for which we should be thankful:

* For the teenager who is not doing dishes but is watching TV, because that means he is at home and not on the streets.

* For the taxes I pay, because it means that I am employed.

* For the mess to clean after a party, because it means that I have been surrounded by friends.

* For the clothes that fit a little too snug, because it means I have enough to eat.

* For my shadow that watches me work, because it means I am out in the sunshine.

* For a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing, because it means I have a home.

* For all the complaining I hear about the government, because it means that we have freedom of speech.

* For the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot, because it means I am capable of walking, and that I have been blessed with transportation.

* For my huge heating bill, because it means I am warm.

* For the lady behind me in my place of worship when she sings off key, because it means that I can hear.

* For the pile of laundry and ironing, because it means I have clothes to wear.

* For weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day, because it means I have been capable of working hard.

* For the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours, because it means that I am alive.

Truly, if we take the time to look around, there is plenty to be grateful for this Thanksgiving.