In this season of Thanksgiving, consider the thankless comparison of measuring wealth by number of dollars. Someone else has more and someone else has less and once basic needs are met, money is superfluous.

My preference is to examine the sundry assortment of available choices for basic living that are afforded and available to me. By that metric, I drown in choice.

I am wealthy. And I am thankful.

Choice: Sartorial

When I dress, whether in the morning or for a special occasion, choice abounds.  There is so much choice that sometimes I approach full circle and “have nothing to wear.”

And my choice can include the latest fashion, or comfort, or color, or fiber content. Sometimes choices align and I am all that. And the closet includes choices available for weather across the seasons, and with the exception of the most extreme environments,¹ across geographies.

I am dressed. And I am thankful.

Choice: Daily bread

And not just bread. Grocery stores, food items, restaurants, cuisines. The range of choice available within 5 miles of home can feed me for the rest of my life. A quick peek at Googlemaps turns up 18 grocery stores in that 5 mile radius and that’s not even counting  two Aldi’s!²

In these grocery stores, it will not surprise you to know that I can buy the same food stuff packaged many ways — fresh, canned, frozen, and sometimes prepared in the deli which keeps the kitchen clean. Er. Cleaner.

And the choice goes on. If a recipe uses something a bit out of the ordinary, say, Turbinado Sugar to caramelize on a choice cut of meat, I can find it. And if not near me, I can Google and find suppliers, or Amazon. Out the door or delivered to my door, availability is not a barrier. If I am hungry, it is a choice.

I am fed. And I am thankful.

Choice: Home environmental control

A thermostat is a wonder of environmental control. In the winter, heat; in the summer, air conditioning. The range of temperature, time of day, day of week on our simple thermostat provides a lot of choice.

I am comfortable. And I am thankful.

Choice: A Sundry Assortment

Choice abounds!

Choice of home furnishings and manufacturers or craftspeople.

Choice of public or private transportation; choice of truck or car; new or used; gas, hybrid, or electric; leather or upholstery; color; etc. 

Choice of electronic devices, use, capability, brand. And just take a moment to consider technology in general. As a child wireless communication was mom hollering up the stairs. She is now states away and we can communicate in normal voices on a cell phone. What a wonder.

And fill in your own choice(s) here …  Join me. As you wend your way through a day, any day, celebrate the availability of the choice available to you because happiness is also a choice. And be thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Choice: Too much

Finally, a rumination by that great bard, Joe Walsh:

“I can’t complain, but sometimes I still do.”

Life’s Been Good, Joe Walsh

¹ North of the Laurentian Divide or in a belt around the equator.

² Aldi’s. Yes, this is snarky. People seem to love Aldi’s for groceries or meh, not so much. I am in the later category and every time I stop at one, I want to love it. It just hasn’t happened yet.