I remember sitting on the edge of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon one early July morning, coffee in hand, while the sun made its way above the jagged rocks and ledges, falling in love with the colors, the deep reds and oranges, the beautiful glow of the American West.  With the elk grazing nearby, I couldn’t imagine a more peaceful place on Earth.  In a setting like this, it is easy to put aside all of your worries, your troubles, your fears.  When you are here, you are thankful, for each breath, for each ray of sunshine that warms your face, for every minute you are able to just sit and escape from the dizzying rush of everyday life.

Today we give thanks for family, friends, food, and for all that we’ve achieved and accomplished each year.  This Thanksgiving let’s give thanks for this beautiful country we call home.  It’s time we focus on all that is good here because, believe it or not, good does exist.  While disturbing media footage continues to stream across our television sets and our news feeds, it’s easy to forget what an amazing country we live in, a land painted in an array of gorgeous colors, an easily forgotten backdrop in our constant race through life.

Nature has sculpted an America we should be proud of.  So take a moment to give thanks for all of this.  “This land is our land…”

Celebrate it.

Cherish it.

Capture it.

Give thanks for it.

© Paul and Michelle Shappirio and Bringing Down the White Picket Fence, 2007-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Paul and Michelle Shappirio and Bringing Down the White Picket Fence with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.