Bad, Bad, Bad

The news is full of terrible things.

There are riots, people getting shot, fires, storms, floods, political conflicts, terrorist attacks, climate change, wars and rumors of wars, etc., etc., etc.

If we focus on such things it seems like the end of the world is coming.

But there are more good people than evil ones in the world and nice things happen all the time. The news media focus on the bad stuff partly because the good is so usual it's not newsworthy.

If someone is speeding, ignores a traffic signal, or cuts me off at an intersection I notice, but when a vehicle drives safely and stops when it should I take that for granted.

I couldn't count the number of times strangers have smiled at me, held a door open when my arms were full, or let me go ahead of them.

Yes, storms and floods and earthquakes and forest fires are dangerous, but they happen rarely. How many days in my life have I enjoyed beautiful weather?

And, like many people, my financial situation could be better, but I have friends and family, a roof over my head, food to eat, utilities, transportation and health care. Lots of people in the world lack some or all of those things.

Thanksgiving isn't just for one day in November. I'll try to be thankful for all the good things all year.