The fog has been heavy this Thanksgiving morning, but it is now beginning to lift and we expect a beautiful day with the temperature reaching into the 70s. I am thankful for so much this year; here are a few:

— The election of Barack Obama as president. It’s not just that I agreed more with his policy positions than his opponent John McCain’s; I love his basic message that all the varied groupings of Americans must come together and function as one nation if we are to move forward as a continued beacon of political hope to the world. I also am thankful that our nation has progressed to the point of being able to elect an African American as president. I think back to attitudes that surrounded me in my childhood and to the images on the television, and this is truly amazing. I recall the conversations at our dinner table as I was growing up, and my sister, who was four years older than me, beat the verbal drum for racial equality. We have come a long way.

— That I have a good and satisfying job. I enjoy my work, and I get paid a good wage for it. So many at our office have lost their jobs over the past few years, and I hurt for their loss; but I am confident God will care for them as He did for me in past when I didn’t have a job. I pray that we can move through this economic down time quickly, learn some lessons as a nation, make some changes in our regulatory policies and move forward toward healthy prosperity.

— Health benefits at work. I have had one surgery (vocal chords) and am about to have another (knee); Trese had a close brush with death and spent a few days in the hospital; and Meredith got stepped on my a horse. The expenses were high, but we made it thanks to my health benefits at work and our new Health Savings Account.

— My wonderful family. We all love each other and enjoy each other’s presence. Circumstances brought some real challenges, but we move through them well together. Trese is a wonderful wife and mother; Tiffany and Darren, Tabitha, Landon, Meredith, Cameron, Shawn, Skylar, Savannah, Madison and Tristan are the joys of my life; Mom and Dad are still a blessing to us and I thank God for every day I have with them; and Kathy and her family moved closer and that has been very nice. I love my family; they are God’s greatest blessing upon my life.