T-Day is Almost Here: What Do We Have To Be Thankful For?

For some families, taking turns at the Thanksgiving table to recite "Thankfuls" is mandatory before heaping food onto the plate.In other families, dysfunctional ones for the most part, everyone is wearing a pretend smile and feeling sorry for themselves that they're stuck with this bunch of pain-in-the-asses. Which family are you in? That's for you to figure out. I'm in a group that's getting more popular as we age. Both my and my spouse's parents are deceased and no sibling or cousin lives nearby. And we don't fly on T-Day. Just the thought of standing on all the lines and pushing my way through cold, rainy weather sends chills down my spine. So we will eat alone. But don't feel sorry for us. We've got the pets and Netflix, which has truly become the number one distraction among boomers and millennials. It's definitely therapeutic to list a few thankfuls at the T-Day table. For nervous, anxious, or depressive people, it's a great opportunity to remind yourself of the good things that make life worthwhile. Here's my contribution for the Big Day: 1. I'm thankful for all my pets and the joy they bring me. 2. I'm thankful for my husband for the companionship and love he gives to me. 3. I'm thankful for my shrink, who monitors my meds so that they give me the semblance of normalcy. 4. I'm thankful for a country that allows me to write and say what I truly feel. 5. I'm thankful for the friends I have who take an interest in my life and who are there for me when I'm in a down cycle. 6. I'm thankful for the ability to prioritize duties and obligations so I have enough time in the day for the fun things. 7. I'm thankful for people who are helping to fight against environmental abuse and the extinction of many species of plants and animals. 8. I'm thankful for organizations like the ACLU, NATO and the World Health Organization, whose goals are peace, fairness and disease-free countries. 9 .I'm thankful for people whose talents lie in the arts and sciences since they help to research new health initiatives and give us hope, a better quality of life, and entertaining, uplifting and inspirational experiences . 10. I'm thankful that I've managed to stay alive and cope with my demons so I can experience all the technological and scientific improvements that the world now offers. 11 I'm thankful that I had parents who in spite of all their flaws and craziness loved me and took care of me. My Dysfunctional Family wishes your Dysfunctional Family a Happy Thanksgiving!!

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