And it’s a good time to take stock of what we have put away for winter and to be grateful for the harvest.

Our American Thanksgiving is somewhat unique in its call for reflection; not just to be glad of the harvest safely gathered in, but for the good things in our lives in general. Those things are as varied as are people, and I will not presume to speak for anyone else on this matter.

I will, though, speak for myself. When I was a young man, and my siblings and I were scattered across North America, it was Thanksgiving, not Christmas, that saw us all returning to our Allamakee County home to spend time together; I'm not sure why, but that's how it worked out. My parents are now gone, as are one of my sisters, but my family - my wife and I, our kids and grandkids - have kept up that tradition. And, as one should, we will engage in some reflection.

What am I grateful for?

I am thankful, today, for:

My health. I’m 63, and other than the odd twinge in my lower back when choring, I’m in pretty good shape. I don’t have the endurance I had when I was a young man wearing Uncle Sam’s colors, running around with a pack and a rifle doing all kinds of screwy things, but my upper body strength has held up pretty well, and if I can’t run much anymore, I can still walk all day if circumstances call for it.

See Related: Photographs and Memories: Along the Rural Roadside

My family. My kids are all grown, ranging in age from their early 40s to late 20s, and they are all doing well. Our four daughters are healthy, happy, and close to each other and their parents. They are all intelligent, and dedicated, and three of them are happily married. Our six grandchildren are doing great – ranging in age from 21 to 4, with the oldest interviewing with medical schools and the youngest developing a fascination for trains and trucks. Our grandchildren are all brilliant and beautiful, for which I take almost all the credit.

My wife. When I was deployed to the Middle East for Operation Desert Storm, I met a little lieutenant in charge of a medical treatment platoon, and while she was only 4’11” and maybe 110 pounds, I quickly realized she had a giant-sized personality, enormous force of will, and was also the sweetest gal I ever expected to meet. So I brought her home and married her, and have never regretted it. She has some medical issues that are worrisome, but she also retains all of that iron will, has more physical and emotional courage than anyone I’ve ever known, and I love her more than I could ever put into words. We have shared our lives for almost 33 years now – children born and children grown; grandchildren born and growing up. Businesses started, businesses failed, businesses succeeded; homes bought, built, and sold; and finally, our life in Alaska, a goal we worked towards, together, for over 20 years. I couldn’t ask for a single thing more out of this marriage, and there isn’t a single thing I’d do differently.

My country. Our country has gone through some troubled times in the last few years. Since 2021, we have been dealing with the most inept, most incompetent, and, yes, the most corrupt presidential administration in the history of the republic. But we are on the cusp of putting that behind us now, and as my grandfather used to say, “When you’re flat on your butt, the only way you can look is up.” But those things are transient. The United States remains what it is – a nation that, in many ways, is forever young, forever in the process of becoming, and I hope it will remain so, a nation that my grandchildren will be proud of when they are my age.

My state. I love Alaska. The Great Land may not be for everyone; let me rephrase that, it’s assuredly not for everyone. Our winters are not to be taken lightly. Snowfalls are measured in feet, temps regularly hit double-digits below zero, and the winter nights are long. While the summers are mild, they are short. But a thing isn’t beautiful because it lasts, and if our summers are gorgeous, so are our quiet, pristine winters, when the Great Land pulls a blanket of white over itself and sleeps until spring. Out here in the borough, the snow stays that beautiful white until it melts in the spring. Alaska is vast, wild, clean, and free, and you couldn’t drag us out of this place with a tractor.

My childhood. In my life, I’ve known so many people who have had screwed-up childhoods, bad parents, troubled siblings, and so on, that I almost feel a little guilty. My parents were wonderful people. Dad was a man of great personal presence and will, and taught me everything I needed to know about being a man, a husband, a father, and a grandfather. My Mom taught me what unconditional love was. My brother, my sisters, and I always had everything we needed, including the love of our parents, we were always secure and happy. That has yielded great dividends, even to this day.

See Related: Photographs and Memories: Dad's Vest

My career. Most of my Army time was part-time in Guard and Reserve units, but I had a thirty-plus-year career in medical devices and biotech. That’s all past now, and I have a new job, this one, that I find far more fulfilling and satisfying than anything I’ve done before. To RedState, Townhall Media, and most especially to you readers, I am most thankful for that.

I’ve been lucky – but more than that, I’ve always been determined to make my own luck, to achieve what I wanted by working for it, to get there by sheer stubbornness if that’s what it takes. I will continue to do so. That’s what my Dad taught me. That’s what my wife does as well, so she understands me in that, as she does in all things. Like my father before me, I'm fond of quoting Thomas Edison, who said "People often don't recognize opportunity when it knocks because it shows up wearing overalls and looks like work." Dad passed his work ethic on to me - and my wife and I have passed it on to our kids.

And I’m thankful for that, too.

Happy Thanksgiving, dear readers. May you know success in all things, now, in the new year, and always.