I've spent the last 23 years working for US companies. This means that there are at least two times during the year when the volume of email from across the Atlantic declines; on 4th July for Independence Day and again around the fourth Thursday of November, their Thanksgiving holiday.
Thankfully I have many American friends, some of whom are readers of this blog and so I won't attempt to show my cultural ignorance by explaining the holiday here. Wikipedia has a good article for my non-US readers.
However, I like the idea of Thanksgiving. Whatever your religious beliefs, or lack of them, the idea of taking time to really reflect on what you have to be thankful for seems a good one. In our busy lives, it is easy to take things for granted, something that living more than 1,500 miles away from the people I love most has already taught me not to do. A weekend alone in Helsinki has given me plenty of time for reflection.
For our family it has not been an easy year. In March, my wife lost her beloved Dad and our daughters lost their unique Grandad. Both girls split up from their boyfriends and now they are having to get used to not having me around all the time. And yet, we have so much to be thankful for. We are all healthy, we have enough to eat, enough funds to buy the things we need (and many that we don't) and a safe home, with friends and family who care for us. There are millions of people around the world who can't make the same claim.
At the moment, my parents are both under the weather and it is hard to be so far away from them when they are not well. I'm hoping to see them early in December when I am home for a visit and also for some time over the Christmas holidays.
So, wherever you find yourself at this time, I encourage you also to take a check on what you have and give thanks, to whomever you feel appropriate. Happy Holidays!
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