Thanks for that.

A national day of thanksgiving. Proclaimed as such by the President. Each year. As per tradition.

And each year this nation of ours is--or at least should be--thankful for different things. And, as per a different sort of tradition, each year--from January to November--too many of us do our best to forget to be thankful. We criticize the abundance of chaff (however rightly), and don't stop to recognize the wheat in our midst.

We offer reprobation for slow governmental response to disaster without recognizing the good fortune of having a government that can respond at all. Or of living in a society that expects help from its government, rather than expecting neglect.

We yearn for new national leaders but do little to support local leaders we agree with who may just be the next crop of national leaders.

We complain about the high price of gas without really realizing that we're still able to afford it.

We lament the futility of the "peace process" in the Middle East from the quite-a-bit-more-than-relative safety of water coolers in Morton Grove, IL.

We protest a war without acknowledging the majestic fireworks of our nation's pre-emptive first-strike capable...

Ok...so not that last one. That damned war will be the death of us in one way or another. But the rest of them. I was serious. Too often we criticize without taking time to be thankful.

Thanksgiving. Giving thanks. All at once. In unison. What a concept. It's nice of President Bush to offer us a day to do so.

A national day of peacegiving would be nice too, but...ok...sorry...I'm biting my tongue (or my fingers, as the case may be).