We’ve arrived at my favorite holiday of the year—Thanksgiving. I like it so much I’d rather celebrate it again at Christmastime, but only because we’ve gotten so far away from the true spirit of Christmas.

Thankgiving is all about an attitude of gratitude, something that is also harder and harder to find in our “give it to me now” culture.

Hoda and I served a traditional Thanksgiving dinner yesterday to a couple hundred homeless people at the New York Rescue Mission. It was my fourth time, Hoda’s first. I missed it last year because I literally couldn’t walk—I had just had surgery on both my feet.

So that is what I was instantly grateful for as I scurried from table to table: my feet work again!

Then as I looked at the beautiful faces of the battered women and their precious children, I said a prayer of gratitude for my loving husband, and healthy (most of the time) loving children.

As we sang “Amazing Grace” together I couldn’t help but whisper a prayer of thanks for God’s love and mercy in my life.

And then, as we finally cleared the table, I said a prayer of Thanksgiving that I would soon be getting in my car and heading home, something I sadly realized was impossible for all our “guests” who have no home at all.

I wondered what the shelter was like. I wondered what their next meal would be. I wondered what tomorrow would be like for them. And every tomorrow until Christmas.

Today I’m praying that the New Year would bring new hope for them. I pray for our new President that all the change he has promised he will actually be able to bring to fruition.

I’m grateful to live in a country that still singles out a day of the year to simply say, “Thank you.”

May God bless each of you and may this Thanksgiving be more meaningful to you than any one before.

Love,

Kathie Lee