Thanks-taking

This holiday season it’s time to reflect on what we have and for what we are thankful--hence the Thanksgiving holiday. As such, I took a moment this weekend to think through what I am truly thankful for. I don’t think people think this through enough. I don’t really think you should be thankful for things that you have earned or done. In other words, should I be thankful for my job? I mean, I worked hard to get here and I do a pretty good job at my job. So should I be thankful, or should my employer? What about friends and loved ones? Should I be thankful for them? I mean, are they not getting anything out of this relationship? I don’t expect them to be thankful for me.

As far as the bigger picture goes, the world around us, the trees and the flowers and bumble bees… what should I be thankful for? To whom should I give thanks? God? To each his own I suppose, but in spite of all appearances to the contrary I am not so egotistical to believe that God did all this for just me, I think the burden of thanks on that front lies on all of us. So consider me one six-billionth thankful for the world around us.

I guess I can be thankful for one thing…. my parents. I am thankful that they weren’t bad people for the first few years of my life. Really, until I could speak or make decisions on my own, I didn’t do much to improve their lives or earn their love. I pretty much just made noise, ate food and shit myself.

So thanks Mom and Dad.

I think in order to be thankful for something, one must have been given an unexpected and undeserved gift. If I won the lottery without even buying a ticket, I’d be thankful. I guess if I bought a ticket and won I’d be thankful too…thankful for me, for buying a ticket.

So I guess what I am saying is that what I am most thankful for is me.

Is that narcissistic enough for you?