Guest blog post by 2024-2025 ALA National Chaplain Monique Batiste
 
Thanksgiving often comes with thoughts of turkey, cornbread dressing, and sweet potato pie. But we also have thoughts of thankfulness, gratitude, and blessings; thoughts of family, friends, gatherings, and sharing.  
 
Thankful/thankfulness can be described as a feeling of being grateful or happy for something or someone. We are thankful for good health, our family, and friendships. We can also be thankful for things we need — like our jobs, our homes, and a roof over our heads — as many are not as fortunate as we are.  
 
Let us also remember those who are serving and protecting our country. Many of them are deployed and spending the Thanksgiving holiday away from home. Imagine being away from your family during a holiday. Now imagine our military away from home. That sacrifice is being made for us on Thanksgiving Day and every day. For that, we are thankful.  
 
Gratitude: In writing, the definition of gratitude is a way to express appreciation through kindness, by noticing and expressing. Many members of the American Legion Auxiliary prepare meals for those who cannot, prepare food boxes and baskets for those in need, and organize and host Thanksgiving socials and parties to show others we care.  
 
Being present is a form of gratitude. Your gratitude can work twofold: While you are showing your appreciation for others by giving, those on the receiving end are grateful for you being present. You would be surprised how important your presence is to someone else.  
 
Blessed: Being blessed is simply “fortunate and favored.” We are thankful because we have. We show gratitude because we appreciate. Because of those two things, we are blessed.