I have been thinking about thankfulness – ‘tis the season. But it’s more than just because we celebrate Thanksgiving this month. I have been thinking about thankfulness as a healthy and helpful way to approach life.

For instance, I had a routine health screening recently. I won’t go into specifics, except to say, that the preparation for this screening is not pleasant. ‘Nuff said. But I kept reminding myself that I am grateful for screenings. One hundred years ago, people didn’t have access to medical screenings of any sort. They just got sick and died. My paternal grandfather was a town doctor in rural Maine. My father told me that part of my grandfather’s job was to make folks as comfortable as possible while they died. I am thankful that today we have so much more knowledge, solutions and hope.

Yes, I know, it is not a perfect world and we haven’t figured everything out yet. But we do keep moving forward – sometimes painfully slow, but forward nonetheless.

Is having a thankful mindset really that big a deal? Perhaps being Debbie Downer is just as good. I will take the thankful mindset over Debbie Downer.

I want to see the good in people, to appreciate a kind act, to marvel at a sweet smile. I want to be the person that gives a ready smile and a sincere thank you. I want the people in my life to feel appreciated and valued.

I don’t want to be so preoccupied with worries and woes (or my cellphone!) that I miss the beauty and wonder around me. I am thinking that being thankful means that I am looking for opportunities to be thankful. I am not talking about being a Pollyanna, blithely being positive about every inane thing. I want to be alert to see the thankful moments around me and then to respond with words of gratitude.

Thank you for being part of this community we all call home.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Margaret Nelson is executive director The River Center Family and Community Resource Center in Peterborough.