Thanksgiving is an American holiday steeped in romanticism. The holiday, as we know it in the 21st century, began with a proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln. In 1863, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday of November as a national day of Thanksgiving, intending to unite the nation. The holiday is all about gratitude. And so, this week, Tina hosts the challenge. She writes, “Gratitude, of course, should be practiced much more frequently. So today we’d like you to focus on those things for which you are most grateful.” You can read her entire challenge post here.

I should have been grateful that I was even born from day one. When I was born, my oldest siblings were on their own, and my oldest brother already had a son over two years my senior. I was an uncle from the day of my birth.

One of the family events that I look forward to every year is our family reunion. Since the late 1990s, we have started an annual tradition of meeting in one of the siblings’ host cities. The photo above was captured in 2002 at my youngest sister’s place in Albuquerque, New Mexico. That’s me in the upper left, standing next to my sister, Veronica. She and I are the only two siblings left. I am eternally grateful that I could join this family as late as I was to the party.

I am grateful for my life partner of well over 50 years now. She and I have been on many adventures, especially since we retired and started traveling.

I am grateful for two children who grew up to be solid and responsible in their own lives.

I’m grateful for my grandson, who grows taller every time I see him. I was in the back seat this year when he took his first official flying lesson with a flight instructor.

That reminds me of something else I am grateful for. In 1996, on a whim, I took my first flying lesson. That introduction led me to a volunteer career as a pilot in the Civil Air Patrol. I am grateful for all of the friendships borne of volunteer service.

Over the years, I have made many friends, but only a few people with whom I share a special bond of friendship. Fred and I met through social media in a photography group. Over the years, we have enjoyed many adventures exploring nature, wandering around cities, and visiting museums, all with our trusty cameras.

After my retirement in late 2011, Lynn and I started to travel. In March 2013, I started writing Flare Legend Adventures to document our travels. Over the years, I’ve made it a point to connect with other bloggers in person. In 2022, Lynn and I met for breakfast with three bloggers I’ve followed. Click on their names in the caption to visit their respective blogs.

Shortly after starting my blog, I began following a blogger who lives in South Africa. From Dries’s posts, the germ of an idea, an African Photo Safari, began. I know that journey would never have happened had I not started following Dries and his beautiful wildlife photos. Click on his name in the caption to see for yourself.

I am genuinely grateful for our meetups with bloggers and especially grateful for my association with the Lens Artists team. I had planned to make this post short, but as they say, it’s too late now. I am grateful if you are still reading this post.

Last week, Patti hosted the challenge “In the Details.” Next week, it’s Ann-Christine’s turn to host. Be sure to follow her blog here so you will receive a notification of her challenge post at noon Eastern Time on Saturday. If you’d like to join in with your own challenge responses but aren’t sure how to get started, click here.

John Steiner