A Thanksgiving Song of the Day - Kind and Generous - Natalie Merchant

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  Today is a special day for taking time to appreciate all you've got in life and to not focus on the things that aren't as rosy, so here are some of the things I am thankful for this year:

I am thankful for have my family, a group of people in this world who love me unconditionally and I know will always be there for me.

I am thankful for my other family, my friends, who bring me love, open ears and open minds, and plenty of good times.  

I am thankful to Vinny, who has brought me an unwavering light into my life, someone whom I can call my partner, and someone who's innocence and goodness I cherish.

I am thankful for my students, past and present, my children, who oftentimes give me my reason for being, for showing me their own appreciation, and for being my family during my daily life.

I am thankful for my coworkers, who bring me some solace in the craziness that is my work life.

I am thankful for having the talent and smarts to do a job I was born to do and affords me the ability to experience some of the best life has to offer. 

There, just writing this all down gave me time to think about all of these things that I am lucky to have in my life.  It's just what the doctor ordered.  Happy Thanksgiving! Now, here's a song I post every year on this day, not only because it fits, but because I love it...

A Thanksgiving Eve Song of the Day - Toast To Our Differences - Rudimental

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, as I've written many times before.  It's a time we don't need to worry about buying gifts or rushing to church or decorating the house.  All we need to do, besides cook and eat, is step back, take a look at what we've got in our lives, and be thankful.  Though it seems this year, both as a society and for me personally, it's difficult to weigh through the muck and strife and find things to be thankful for, but they're there.  I'm going to save my personal thanks for the big day tomorrow, but for now, I am thankful for the colors of life, the diversity among us, and like in this song, I want to make a toast to all our differences...

A Thanksgiving Song of the Day - Kind and Generous - Natalie Merchant

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  Unlike Christmas, it is not about what I call the 'have to's' of commercialism that have taken away the meaning of that holiday.  No, this day is all about being thankful for what we have in our lives.  Of course, that's not something we should save for just one day of the year because we all have something to be thankful for each and every day, but at least we have this great big reminder.

I've got plenty of things to be thankful for this year.  I've been having an especially good year and I'd like to take a moment here to reflect a little on the things I am grateful for at this moment...

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be a homeowner for the past twenty years.  Not everyone gets to experience this slice of the American Dream and I consider myself lucky to have had this beautiful house of mine both as a co-owner and for the last ten years as the sole owner.  I'm proud of my home and after today it will now simply be a beautiful memory of my past, and I am thankful.

I am thankful for all of the people in my life.  Of course, I am lucky to still have my mom young and spry as she is, and I'll be celebrating yet another Thanksgiving with her today.  I am grateful for my wonderful circle of friends who are always in y corner no matter what.  It is always a warm feeling when you have people around you who you know enjoy your company and will always have your back.  I am grateful for my students, who are simply extensions of my own family, the many past and present who I have nurtured and developed lifelong bonds with.  I am thankful for the guy I am currently seeing.  He has brought me smiles for just about three months now, and remembering what it's like to have someone out there like that is oh so nice!

Lastly, I am grateful, as I leave this house, that I found such a new and wonderful place to call home.  Though my last moments here on Vernon St. will be sad and reflective, I know that making this new home for myself will be an exciting venture that I hope will be the beginning of an even more vividly beautiful life.

Natalie Merchant's Kind and Generous has been my staple at Thanksgiving for years.  To me, it is the ultimate thank you song and I hope you will click play and listen to the beautiful and gracious words.  Here's Natalie...

  

A Thanksgiving Song of the Day - Kind and Generous - Natalie Merchant

For all of the problems we may have in our lives, there are always just as many blessings. Sometimes all you have to do to forget those problems is stop and think about all that you do have, even if just for awhile.  That's what Thanksgiving is all about, and that's why it's my favorite holiday.  Happy Thanksgiving to everybody!  

A Thanksgiving Song of the Day - Thank You - Alanis Morissette

Here's a sarcastic, yet classic holiday staple from Canadian rockstress extraordinaire Alanis Morissette on this, the day before Thanksgiving. Enjoy!

A Thanksgiving Song of the Day - Thank You (Falletinme Be Mice Elf, Again) - Sly and the Family Stone

Welcome to the second special Thanksgiving Song of the Day with the most the original of funksters. It's Sly & the Family Stone with a classic thank you... 

A Thanksgiving Song of the Day - Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper

It's Thanksgiving week and although I have been super super busy these past couple of months, I need to stop and take some time to acknowledge my favorite holiday and what it means. Thanksgiving is waaayyy better than Christmas!  No shopping for presents, no pressure, a little less cold, lol...all ya gotta do is say thanks!  Here's a classic by the inimitable Cyndi Lauper, and if she was singing this to me, I would totally feel the warmth of appreciation in my heart!  Enjoy! 

Thanksgiving Song of the Day - Kind and Generous - Natalie Merchant

You've been so kind and generous

I don't know how you keep on giving

For your kindness I'm in, debt to you

For your selflessness, my admiration

For everything you've done, you know I'm bound

I'm bound to thank you for it....

Natalie Merchant's Kind and Generous, to me, is the perfect Thanksgiving song.  In fact, I was quite surprised not to see it on several Thanksgiving song lists I perused over the past couple of days.  I mean, even though the words thank you aren't in the title, the tune is all about appreciation, So for all of you out there who celebrate Thanksgiving, take the time to be grateful for what you've got, because no matter who you are, you've got a lot!  Happy Thanksgiving!

Song of the Day - Thank You For Being a Friend - Andrew Gold/Golden Girls

Thank you for being a friend...

Travel down the road and back again,

Your heart is true, you're a pal and a confidant.

And if you threw a party, invited everyone you knew,

You would see, the greatest gift would be from me...

...and the card attached would say, 

Thank you for being a friend!

Friends are one of the most precious commodities in life.  Friends are the family you've chosen, and you are part of the family they have chosen.  They're there through the good times and the bad, the happy and the sad.  Take some time to appreciate all of the people who make your life whole, not only during Thanksgiving time, but all the year round.

Song of the Day - Thank You - Dido

What ever happened to Dido?  She had such good songs over the years, starting with this one (which I had actually forgotten about until now) from her 1999 debut album No Angel.  I mean, there was Here With Me, White Flag, and...and...  Hmmm!?!?  Whatever, those were great songs and I'm sure she's done other stuff I'd probably like if I knew.  It turns out she's been making music all along, releasing her latest, Girl Who Got Away, around 2013, though she seems to be under everyone's radar (Note to self: check out some recent Dido!).  Anyway, here's a gem of hers that's certainly fitting of the season...

I want to thank you, for bringing me the best days of my life!

Song of the Day - Thank You - Alanis Morissette

It's Thanksgiving Week!  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and although I'm not exactly in the spirit, I'm gonna try and get into it through, what else?  Music!  Even though we've all got problems...that's just life...we've all got a lot to be thankful for, no?  Here's a classic by Alanis to get us started...