A time for thanks

Discouraging news has been in ample supply lately. Around the globe, nations are being brought to their knees by deteriorating economic conditions. Here in America, many thousands of dedicated, loyal employees are losing their jobs. Millions more are being forced to delay or forego retirement plans. At the same time, government is spending hundreds of billions of dollars on corporate bailout plans with no guarantee of success. Given these and other developments, it would be easy to become alarmed–and perhaps discouraged. Fortunately, Thanksgiving has picked a perfect time to arrive. All across our nation, families and friends will gather this Thursday. They will continue a centuries-old tradition shared by the rich and poor alike: offering a collective thank you for our many blessings. There's no denying that these are challenging times. But let's remember that we still have much to be grateful for.