Thankful...even in 2019

Thursday is Thanksgiving. The fourth Thursday in November, as decreed by Congress in 1941. There's more to the story, but suffice it to say that we have been standardized on this timing for the past 78 years.

As usual, I have been blessed beyond measure this year, and will celebrate this holiday with close family and friends. Not everyone has been so fortunate in 2019, though. For farmers and ranchers across the country, this year has presented challenges every step of the way. From cataclysmic blizzards dubbed bomb cyclone by the weather folks, to floods that continue to plague the Missouri river valley, to planting delays across the corn belt, to harvests that have been pushed back and slowed due to weather and propane issues.

And it's not over just because we flip the calendar to a new year at the end of next month! Many of the issues I speak of will continue to haunt producers and their families as well as the folks who supply their inputs well into the foreseeable future. Physical, financial, and emotional difficulties will be present long after this season is over.

The hashtag #thanks2019 has been used to sarcastically respond to some of the repeated difficulties of this year.

So, as we approach this day that has been set aside to give thanks, it becomes crucial in this year, every year, really, to count those positive things in our lives that have been provided for us. A beautiful sunrise or sunset. Children or grandchildren in our lives. Regular meals. A safe and secure place to live. Friends.

Each of us as individuals have these positive things that we need to concentrate on even as the harvest drags on, or preparations for 2020 weigh us down. Take a few moments, not just Thursday, but every day, to look around and see even the tiniest of blessings and lift them up in thanks.

And if you're having trouble finding the blessings in your life, give me a call and we'll see if we can't find them together.