Tomorrow is our national holiday of giving thanks for the things which we’ve been blessed in receiving. In today’s superficial society it’s not uncommon to hear someone complaining about what they don’t have instead of being grateful for what they do have. All of us should be grateful and gracious we live in the greatest country this world has ever seen. Not perfect, but the best in history so far.

For just shy of 25 years, I was in the Marine Corps. Even as a reservist, I was sent to several foreign countries, and with the exception of Norway and Japan, all of them were third world and destitute. Returning home each time made me realize how blessed the United States and its people really are.

The first thing many Americans take for granted is one of the most necessary to survive: water. The US and Canada have more fresh drinking water than the rest of the world combined. We can pretty much drink water from where ever we want and not get sick. Our water supply is plentiful allowing for long showers, clean clothes, and more swimming pools than anywhere else. Few people in America have to walk miles to gather dirty, suspect water for boiling before consumption. We can turn a knob in any number of rooms in our houses and have running hot and cold, clean water.

The standard of living which we in the US are accustomed is extravagant and luxurious compared to the rest of the world. Even the poorest of Americans have a better standard of living than most people on Earth. In 2003 I was witness to a vicious riot in a large Iraqi city which started over people fighting for garbage the Marines had thrown away. After the riot was quelled, from that point onward, our garbage was burned inside our compound. Here, we live in our own homes, have our own vehicles and can travel freely on solid roads. Our personal lives and the things in it are the envy of the planet: our phones, computers, clothing, and furnishings. Even something as ubiquitous as a grocery store here is unheard of in some places around the globe.

A surely unnoticed US gem is the Post Office and home delivery. I traveled thousands of miles, some on foot, in the interior of Thailand and all across the mid-east never seeing a post office – and I was actively searching. When asked about postal services in Iraq, few people knew what I was talking about. Those who did know said mail services were so unreliable, no one used them. The United States Post Office is easily overlooked, but our lives are better because of it.

Without argument, the condition in the US for which we should be most thankful is our safety and security. Our country hasn’t been invaded by a foreign force in centuries. While we have experienced terrorist attacks, from outside and within, we live safe and secure lives. This is in stark contrast to many other parts of the world. Here children can play outside without fear of being blown-up and adults can safely travel at will, unimpeded by armed “checkpoints.” There are no battles taking place on American soil and our neighbors, Canada and Mexico, are for the most part friendly. Domestically, our police forces are near 100 percent ethical, professional and honest in their daily dealings with the public. A dishonest cop in the US makes headlines; in many parts of the world, police corruption is a normal working procedure.

In our little piece of America, upstate New York, we should be thankful we have never been asked to flee our homes because of a storm. A few hours travel to the south and you will find marked hurricane evacuation routes on highways. To the west a couple of states there are tornado siren instructions in public spaces. While we do experience an occasional flood or brush fire, we have never experienced devastation to the extent seen in California in the past week. From the photos and video published, the areas affected in California have more natural destruction than war damage in places like Fallujah and Nasiriyah a decade ago.

Everyone has their own reasons, big or small, to give thanks. Tomorrow – Thanksgiving Day – take a moment to reflect deep down inside for what you are most thankful. It wouldn’t hurt if you wrote a list and shared it with your loved ones. Here’s something on my list: I’m thankful for the opportunity to write this weekly column for our hometown daily paper. Sometimes the words flow as easily as speaking to a friend. Other times it is as hard as writing Japanese math equations. But always, I’m grateful to my readers and I wish a Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.