Giving Thanks

Several co-workers of mine have asked me this week if I celebrate Thanksgiving. I was surprised by the question. I've always considered Thanksgiving an American holiday. I'm sure in it's original form Thanksgiving has more Christian themes but over the years it's become more of an American holiday. Giving thanks is not an unusual concept in Judaism. We give thanks every day in our prayers, we give thanks after we eat a meal, and we give thanks during all Jewish holidays. Eating a festive meal is also not uncommon, being able to watch football at the same time is. Joking aside, here are some of things I am thankful for:

• Living in the United States: I am thankful that I live in a country that allows me to practice my religion openly without fear of persecution. I thankful that I can express my opinions in the spoken word as well as in writing on this blog, Facebook, or Twitter. 
• My Family: I am thankful for a loving wife and daughter. They are my biggest fans and support me unconditionally.  They may not understand why I would want to go out and run 20 miles on a brutally cold Sunday morning in February but they always ask "how was your run?" when I get home.
• Friends: I value all of my friendships. My friends outside of running remind me every day that running is only one part of life. To my running friends, thank you for your support, encouragement, and overall positive energy. To those that I've been fortunate to meet in person and run with, thank you for the company. To those that I have not yet met, I hope that our paths cross soon.
• My Coaches, Jeff and Diane: Thank you for helping me unleash my potential. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with the running community via Twitter, Facebook, e-mail, and your live show. Thank you for coaching athletes of all abilities.
• Race Organizers, Volunteers, and Public Safety Officials: Thank you for putting together great races that I look forward to racing year after year. Thank you for braving the same conditions I do to make sure I have a great race experience. It's not easy standing out there for hours on end in the extreme heat, cold, rain, or snow to point us in the right direction, to hand out cups of water, to put a finishers medal around around necks, to keep us safe. This is a good place to mention that if you are running a Turkey Trot sometime over Thanksgiving weekend, please thank the volunteers for taking the time out of their holiday to make sure we have an enjoyable experience. 

Happy Thanksgiving!