Thanksgiving is a time for food, celebration, and fun. Every year on Thanksgiving, families gather around the table to enjoy a meal and give thanks. But for some folks, Thanksgiving can be a lonely time. Many adults spend the holidays feeling isolated and depressed.

Today as we celebrate this Thanksgiving, it is important to remember that it’s about more than being thankful for one day, it is an entire lifetime. Today is the day to be thankful for all the things in your life, no matter how big they are, or how small. Even in our deepest sorrow, we can find things to be thankful for.

Holidays bring out emotional pain. This time of year can be difficult for any one who has suffered a loss. Should you be missing loved ones this holiday, rejoice in the knowledge that they are with God. Don’t push yourself today; allow yourself that time to grieve.

For those who may be feeling depressed this Thanksgiving holiday, open your heart to giving. Helping other people in need is a wonderful way to celebrate the day and may make you feel less alone. Check out communities in your area that may need volunteers during the holidays- example: soup kitchens, shelters, hospitals or reach out to your local church.

Life is full of unexpected changes. Death is very much a part of life. Whatever you do today, don’t cover up your feelings of depression and isolation. Own up to those feelings and know that you’re not alone. Somewhere today, someone is feeling the same way that you are.

Today on this Thanksgiving Day please remember, though the harvest might not always be plentiful, family and friends may be few, God has given us each a great deal to be thankful for. It’s my experience that it’s much easier to thank God for our blessing than to find a way to be thankful in the midst of our troubles.

I’m thankful that I have the strength to meet the challenges that come with life. I’m thankful for each memory that family and friends have given me. I’m thankful for having a profound understanding that it is more important to give than to receive. This Thanksgiving I have much to be thankful for.

Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving. ~W.T. Purkiser

Today be thankful for what you have to give, not just what you have received.

Happy Thanksgiving.