To get ready for Thanksgiving, I thought a prompt about thankfulness would be appropriate.

Even though I am grateful for all the major events and people in my life, like my family and graduating from college, I want to focus on little things I’m thankful for

Driving to pick up my oldest at school, I passed a harvested field of corn. A large bird of prey rose out of the field. Its tail was white above and below so I couldn’t identify the species. I stopped my car, so the huge, roaring machine wouldn’t scare it. The bird turned and flew across the road in front of me. It was a bald eagle. I had never been so close to a wild one before.

Driving on, I felt my whole body lift and lighten. I hadn’t been having a bad day, and yet the sight of that bird made the whole day better. Maybe it was the surprise of the sighting. Or the brush with wild nature. But I thanked God for the experience.

A psychiatrist I knew said often it’s the little, positive memories that carry us through a dark time.

So what little thing are you thankful for?