Despite the economic turmoil, the bruising two year run for the presidency, and the continued danger around the world there is still much to be thankful for.

• We have not been attacked since 2001 due to the efforts of President Bush and his administration
• We have had another election, this one a particularly historic one, and we are in the midst of another peaceful transition of power, something that is the marvel of the world that we have been able to do this for over two hundred years.
• There is talk about the worst economic times since the Great Depression, which is what we typically hear each election season such that it trivializes those hard times.  These are probably the worst economic times since the Carter Administration, but even with that interest rates are no where near the 20%+ they were back then, unemployment is still in single digits, lower than in the Carter years and no where near the 25% of the Great Depression
• Business is being conducted,  jobs are being posted, and we will get through this

It is a time to reflect on what we have, despite the challenges, and how great this country is.  To help me stay grounded I have always enjoyed reading two articles that are published each year at this time in the Wall Street Journal.  The first tells the story of the Pilgrims and their journey to the New World and how having made that decision there was no turning back. You can follow the link to it here, The Desolate Wilderness.

The second article is called And The Fair Land which was written in 1961.  It seems that a number of the things it mentions are still current.  It is a testament to the fact that we will always have challenges, but as Americans, we will find a way to overcome them.  The key to this is to allow the American people the freedom and liberty to try, experiment, and find solutions.  The less government gets in the way, the more confident I am that we are only limited in by our imagination.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving