It's Thanksgiving Day, so maybe we should give a little attention to the matter of gratitude.

I suppose gratitude is a form of self-care. A way of acknowledging, "It could always be worse," and it often was.

Is it a form of worship? Are we supposed to give thanks to God?

Or should we be thanking all the people who came before us and gave us all the things we wish to appreciate today?

Are those things a gift? Did we do anything to deserve them?

Who is the gift from? God? A system?

A system that favors some at the expense of others?

Should we be grateful for the system?

What are the things we're grateful for? And how sure are we that we'll always have them?

Does gratitude suggest action? Or is gratitude merely a "good intention"?

If there are things you are grateful for today, perhaps you should spare a thought to how you might ensure that others may be grateful for them next year.

It could always be worse.

And it likely will.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Originally posted at Nice Marmot 07:00 Thursday, 23 November 2023