As you sit down for your Thanksgiving meal and give thanks for the food, family, friends and whatever else you might be thankful for, consider giving thanks for things we generally do not consider but definitely should be grateful for.
Give thanks for the sun that warms the Earth and allows plants to undergo photosynthesis taking in carbon dioxide and releasing the oxygen we all need.
Give thanks for the moon that controls the tides on Earth and guides some animals on their migrations.
Give thanks for rain, snow, fog, and sleet as they clean the air and provide water for all living things.
Give thanks for wetlands that help prevent flooding.
Give thanks for rocks that add nutrients to the soil and filter water.
Give thanks for soil that nourishes plants and provides habitat for so many organisms.
Give thanks for plants that stabilize the soil and clean the air.
Give thanks for the herbivores that eat plants to keep their growth in check and to spread their seeds.
Give thanks for the carnivores that keep animal populations under control.
Give thanks for the animals, insects, molds, and fungi that decompose all that is dead.
Give thanks for oceans that move nutrients around the world and help regulate land temperatures.
Give thanks for the phytoplankton that produce 80% of the world’s oxygen.
Give thanks for the insects, birds, and bats that pollinate plants and eat other insects.
Give thanks for forests that are the Earth’s lungs.
Give thanks for autumn with its brilliant colors and the leaves that will decompose to enhance the soil.
Give thanks for winter and the cold that will preserve life underground.
Give thanks for spring with plants and animals emerging. Give thanks for summer and the glory of life everywhere.
