With it being Thanksgiving weekend, let's ponder what it means to give thanks. And why do we only have one day out of the entire year that we dedicate to giving thanks?

To be honest, the food usually takes first place in our minds. The perfectly browned turkey, the stuffing, all the trimmings, and of course, dessert. Do we even think about giving thanks? And our second priority is the football game. Or, for the men, the football game may be the first priority.

In our family, I make an attempt to ask everyone what they are thankful for. I get various responses, from some interest, all the way to boredom. Mostly, I get, "Can we eat now?" But I'm glad that I make the attempt. If nothing else, I remind myself what I have to be thankful for. I look around the table at the faces of my children, all relatively healthy and financially independent. That's no small thing in today's world.

And then I look at my grandchildren. Like all grandmothers, I believe that my grandchildren are the cutest and the smartest in the whole world. That's a completely unbiased view.

But what if, when I awoke each morning I was grateful for what I have. I have my health back. I'm so grateful. I have a loving husband who helped me so much through my illness. And I have the ability to love life. I have the ability to contribute something for life.

I like to tell my clients to write a gratitude list. And include everything you take for granted. When you woke up this morning could you look out the window and see the sky, cloudy or blue? Do you have the ability to put food on your table? Can you put gas in your car? Are you grateful for being alive? Are you grateful for your friends? I know I'm so grateful to my friends who visited me in the hospital and sent me cards. The world if full of wonderful and loving people.

Yet how often do we complain about something? Do we complain about someone we don't like? Do we complain about what we don't have? Whatever we choose to put our attention on grows in our minds. Where will your attention be today and everyday?

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. Dr. Myrna Sarowitz is a professionally trained life coach. With a private practice in Schererville, she also is a licensed clinical psychologist. She can be reached at livingyourjoy@sbcglobal.net.