Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone. - G.B. Stern

What a great holiday: a whole day to consider life now. To stop whining about little annoyances and frustrations; to shift the negative to a space of gratitude and thankfulness for the present.

This is my favorite holiday. As a child, we'd watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in the morning, then head over to my grandparents' house where we;d eat until we couldn't move. We'd play games and run around the yard and do jumping jacks in front of the TV to annoy those who were watching Barry Sanders and the Lions play football.

My Facebook ex-pat posse has been exchanging emails and messages all day about our slight Thanksgiving depression. This day always hits far harder than any other days. It's the start of the holiday season, when we'll likely be away from family again. It's also the day that everyone celebrates back home. While Christmas usually means family, Thanksgiving also means friends.

So in the spirit of this lovely tradition, I'll say that I'm grateful for a healthy family, for good friends from around the globe, and for a curiosity about the world that has only deepened with time.