Was your Thanksgiving Day last week a joyful occasion? One challenge many of us have on these special occasions, such as Christmas now approaching, is to avoid getting immersed in the memories of these special occasions which we wish we could relive, as in the words of this song: "Precious Memories, how they linger, how they ever flood my soul, in the stillness of the midnight, precious sacred scenes unfold."

But we all have things happening in our lives TODAY which we should recognize and be thankful for, such as our families and friends. I thank God every day for the steadfast love of my wonderful family here on Earth and for the guidance I receive from Above. Sad things happen to us at times, but we can make the best of them. That's what Mary Ellen McErlene did when she lost her father, John T. McErlene, who was 39 when he died in the terrible 9/11 tragedy.

She shared these words in recent years with her peers at Georgetown University, "On September 8, 2001, I celebrated my 8th birthday. I got a sparkly purple bike and the matching helmet I asked for. Three days later, on September 11, 2001, two planes flew into the World Trade Center and killed my father. Those two planes brought down one of the world's largest buildings and my father with it, but those two planes did not bring me down. At that moment, it felt like my entire world had been shattered in an instant. The immense loss I experienced and still feel today cannot be expressed in words alone.

“My father was the most wonderful person I had ever known and though he was taken from me on that day, nothing and no one will ever be able to take away the eight years and two days of my life shared with him. After my father died, I promised myself that I would never lose who I am as a person - the person my father brought me up to be. Experiencing great loss can leave a person with a feeling of emptiness, but it is up to the individual to overcome such adversity. We need to learn to live for today rather than for tomorrow, and to truly appreciate those who love us and every moment we are blessed to have with them."

Folks, there are inspiring moments being lived by people all around us and we can be comforted by such profound truths that come out of those experiences, such as: "Things usually work out best for those who make the best of the way things work," and "When I'm weary and I can't sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep, and I fall asleep counting my blessings."

And now to close with humor: The cowboy lay sprawled across three entire seats in the theater. When the usher came by and noticed this, he whispered to the cowboy, "Sorry, sir, but you're only allowed one seat."

The cowboy groaned but didn't move. The usher became more impatient, and said, "Sir, if you don't get up from there, I'm going to have to call the manager." The cowboy just groaned. The usher marched briskly back up the aisle. In a moment he returned with the manager.

Together, the two of them tried repeatedly to move the cowboy, but with no success. Finally, they summoned the police. The policeman surveyed the situation briefly, "All right, buddy, what's your name?'

"Sam," the cowboy moaned.

"Where are you from, Sam?"

With pain in his voice, Sam replied, "the balcony."

Have a great day!