Do you get so busy preparing for Thanksgiving that you forget to be thankful? Many of us do. We get so wrapped up in all the preparations, the cooking and all the family coming that we forgot to stop and remember all our blessings. Just like during the year, we get caught up in the day-to-day worries and forget to be thankful.

There are so many basic things we should be thankful for that we take for granted. If we have a home, be it a house, apartment or trailer, we should be thankful we have shelter. Too many people have no homes or have unsafe living conditions.

We all have the occasional round of the flu or colds go through our families. But overall, most people are fairly healthy. We should be thankful that we are able to get around, work, play and have a normal life. Too many times serious illness can strike without warning. We need to take advantage of good health while we still have it, instead of taking it for granted.

How many times to do we look in the closet and complain that we “have nothing to wear” when in reality we have more clothes than we know what to do with? We have multiple pairs of shoes and boots, sweaters and coats. We are able to stay dry and warm without any worries.

Why should we wait until Thanksgiving to be thankful? We should be grateful for our blessings all year round. Maybe the best way to show how thankful we are for our blessings is to share them. What better time to share than Thanksgiving, when those without feel even more left out, especially those without family. There are many ways to share your blessings.

One way to spread the blessings is to donate some gently used things to a reputable charity. There are many good organizations out there that take clothing and other household items. Even though you could donate all year round, Thanksgiving is a good time to think about giving back.

Another wonderful way to share your blessings is to donate your time to a homeless shelter. Most have a special meal at Thanksgiving for those without homes or families. Even if you put off your own family dinner until Friday or Saturday, imagine the joy you would bring to others by giving up your time to make one day a little brighter for them. And you don’t have to stop after one day. There are many opportunities to volunteer year round.

Before you sit down at your Thanksgiving meal this year, take the time for each member of your family to share what they are most thankful for in the past year. You might be surprised at the things your family is thankful for this year.