Gobble Gobble

‘Tis the season when most Americans, and possibly others, gather together to say thank you. This is the time of the year when people take time out from their busy shopping schedules to thank their Creator, their families, their bosses and their country for all of life’s blessings.

For us as Jews, we use every day to thank Gd. We start early each morning as soon as we open our eyes – Modeh Ani Lefanechah – I give thanks before you. We continue all day through with blessings of thanks for the food we eat, the ability to eliminate the food we eat from our bodies and for the various commandments we fulfill each day.

There are many big things for all of us to be thankful for, Jew and non-Jew alike. Life, liberty, health, a home, a job, family. Yet for some who are lacking these bigger things in life, it often becomes difficult to say thank you. The loss of a job or a loved one, not having a family surrounding them, lack of health, religious or physical persecution. Then it becomes time to look at the little things in life and say, what would life be without them?

For those of you who may lack the micro-focus, here are some of those wonders and conveniences of life that still make life pleasurable:

Snooze alarms, white-out, paper clips, calculators, calendars, toys, disposable diapers, paper plates, umbrellas, non-slip bath mats, the little light on the toaster oven so that you know it’s still on, pajamas, sunsets, screen doors, dollar bills, matching forks, knives and spoons, nail clippers, rocking chairs, cell phones (well, you can decide about that one), Sweet ‘n’ Low, the remote control, the first winter snow, toilet paper, post-it notes, yellow highlighters, dishwashers, matches (the ones made in China or in Heaven), allowance, weekends, retirement, hugs, toothpaste, micro-chips, commuter buses and trains, dictionaries and shopping bags.

(I may have left out a few, so be sure to fill in some of your own favorites).

So, before you gobble down your turkey dinner or savor the tasty pumpkin pie, take a look around you and realize what you have. Some have more, some have less, but the truly rich person is the one who takes pleasure in his lot (Ethics of the Fathers, 4:1). It’s never too late to stop and smell the roses.

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