Even though I am a vegetarian, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.

No, it's not because we get a day off in the middle of the week. That just causes more problems than it's worth when you work for a newspaper with a weekly deadline.

Thanksgiving provides me with what I like to consider a "reality check."

Some people might think that the reality of life is made up of all the problems we face -- health concerns, financial struggles, how to juggle what sometimes seems to be an insurmountable load of demands on our time. Those things are nothing to sneeze at, of course, and they rightfully require much of our day-to-day attention.

Sometimes it takes a day like Thanksgiving to remind us of the many blessings we have in our lives, which are just as real as the burdens. In fact, when we get really good at looking for the blessings in our lives, we sometimes can see that the burdens are blessings in disguise. You REALLY have to practice to get to that point, though!

Ultimately, it's all a matter of perspective. It's the Carlos Casteneda concept of reality being relative.

So for at least this one day, choose to see the reality of your life in terms of the positives, not the negatives. Instead of just eating some poor turkey and watching football, give thanks.

For everyone at The Citizen, I wish you a warm, gratitude-filled holiday.