Today our nation briefly stops to give thanks for all of the many blessings bestowed upon us.

Reflecting on recent months, the negative news is easy to remember and lingers at the surface of our minds for a bit.

The stock market dove just before Thanksgiving last year; then continued to be rocky, ultimately hitting a massive low in March.

Home values have sunk in many parts of the country.

And, millions of Americans have found themselves out of work and, perhaps, struggling to find something for which to be thankful this holiday season.

Call us idealists, even dreamers, however we still believe in the American dream and in the power of the unwavering American spirit.

Sure, the world is changing and sure, the economy has been on a downward turn of late. But on the whole, America is still great nation.

We know of no other nation in the world in which the people have quite the precious rights offered to American citizens.

As we give thanks today we should all remember the men and woman who protect our freedoms and our safety — those serving in the military.

Focusing more on the smaller picture — our community vs. the world — we feel even more blessed to call the Miss-Lou home.

While certainly not perfect, our community has some amazing people and resources that make the place unique and we should be thankful each of those.

But most important, we are thankful for the blessings God has given us. As we’re deep in the heart of the “holiday season” we’ll be richer if we remember who gracious gave us all that we have.

Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving Day.