Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians

Thanksgiving in Canada is different from that in the US. First of all, I have several US acquaintances who were surprised to find out that we even have Thanksgiving - but since it is a day to give thanks for the bounty the earth (and our farmers' hard work!) supplies us, it's not surprising.

What I enjoy about the Canadian Thanksgiving is that it's not so close to Christmas as the US one. I love that it's in October where sometimes it still can be beautiful outside (as it is here in Quebec this weekend) and it doesn't seem to have the stress involved with it that our neighbours seem to have.

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding, but I've seen and heard many stories of people being horribly stressed and often comments about Thanksgiving are related to Christmas being not so far behind. But regardless of whether you have Thanksgiving in October or November, the point of the day is to give thanks for what we have and to - hopefully - spend some time with those who love us and who we love. So, this year, this is what I'm thankful for:

Despite my aches and pains, my good health.
My three kids who are well on to their own lives now as they work their way through college/university/first jobs.
My husband with whom last week I just celebrated 23 years of marriage.
Our home which, faults and all, is ours to do as we wish.
My three dogs who have gone on to rainbow bridge and left such an imprint in my soul.
My love of writing and the ability to turn that into a living.
My ability to read. With so many, even in North America, who are illiterate or functionally illiterate, it breaks my hear to know that there are those who can't enjoy the written word.
Living in a country that allows us to go freely to elect our governing bodies. As flawed as the system may be, Canadians are among the most fortunate in the world.

There are too many things to list, this is just but a few. Happy Thanksgiving to both Canadians and Americans for next month. And for those readers outside of North America, peace and happiness to you.

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