More to be thankful for than we often realize

Posted on October 14, 2014 by 40 Mile Commentator

As people put their feet up and unwind from their Thanksgiving feast shared with family and friends and reflect on some of the things they are thankful for in their lives, perhaps they also took some time to consider some of the less obvious things.

Being thankful for family, friends, a roof over one’s head, food, and having basic needs met are items that immediately come to mind when asked what you are thankful for.

Dig a little deeper and one probably would include our rights and freedoms that we all are able to enjoy in Canada (and Freedom of the Press that is embodied in our Charter of Rights and Freedoms).

Most, if not all Canadians are, or should be thankful for the efforts put forth by the men and women in our military, who risk themselves to keep the rest of us safe.

How about our law enforcement? Sure, we all get upset when we get that photo radar ticket in the mail, but their ultimate duty is to keep the community a safe place. As Redcliff recently learned, our law enforcement, like our military, accepts the risk and stops the danger in its tracks when confronted. Knowing the RCMP are out their 24/7 keeping our communities safe helps us sleep well at night, and for that, we should all be very grateful.

On a broader scale, there are terrorists taking over entire cities in Syria and Iraq, committing atrocities never before seen and shocking the world in the process. We should be thankful that Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Defense Minister John Baird for stepping up and doing the right thing to stop ISIS, who has already threatened Canada, the United States, and other countries in the free world that they will attack us here. They need to be stopped on their turf, not ours. On a side note: It is completely inappropriate for a federal political candidate to be using this mission to gain momentum for his race to the top at Parliament Hill. There are times when war is necessary and this is one of them. The U.S., Canada, and NATO were a little late out the starting gate on this one, but they are doing the right thing. Keeping Canadians safe in this day and age does not necessarily mean it has stop at the border. We should all be thankful that our current federal leadership has grown some muscle.

As the TV news broadcasts continue to headline the ongoing threat of eboli, we Canadians should be grateful we have the easily-accessible health care facilities that we have. But, as the deadly disease slowly creeps across the Atlantic, a lot of folks are feeling more concern and doubt, than gratefulness. With actions being taken to minimize the chances of eboli coming into the country already in place, it should ease the minds of many.

And, if we are successful in keeping eboli out of Canada, we should all be incredibly grateful.

Count your blessings that you have a roof over your head, a meal in your belly, and good people to share it all with, but also be thankful for all the good we really do have in this country.