2013-11-26 – I’ve never really understood this business of thanking God for anything. It’s like thanking my hat for keeping my head warm or my boots for keeping my feet dry. It’s not like they put themselves out. It’s what they do.

Atheists go a step further. They deny the hat and they deny the boots. And they could be right. Who knows for sure? I’m not denying the hat or boots, but I’m not giving them human personalities that come with a need to be thanked.

My Thanksgiving (and I suppose an atheist’s Thanksgiving) is about people. I appreciate the farmers who grow my food. And the truckers who deliver it. I appreciate the tradespeople who built my house. And the workers who built my car. I appreciate plumbers who bring us safe drinking water and carry away the sewage. I appreciated doctors and nurses who treat me when I am sick. And teachers who educate me and my family. I appreciate musicians, and writers, and artists. I appreciate coworkers and friends. I appreciate my family.

And I appreciate the folks who made my hat and my boots. . . . and my parka, too.