What comes to mind when you think of fall? Colored leaves and pretty trees, pumpkin and apple foods, or maybe hikes and bike rides and leaf raking while wearing jeans and comfortable sweaters. The World Series, the start of hockey and basketball and classic football games. 50 and 60 degree temperatures and crisp air provide the backdrop.

Thanksgiving is the glorious accumulation of all the best of the autumn season in one day. The festive food, the family, the football, the fun. The colored leaves and the turkey all surrounded by the people you love most.

Thanksgiving is a day of thanks. But it is also a day for everyone to breathe. Take a day off, sleep in if you're not going to the parade and everyone is in a good mood. I mean what is there to be mad about? Most of us have a lot to be thankful for, and Thanksgiving provides the platform for a day of reflection and a day of enjoyment at the same time - something that is difficult to achieve at one time. This rare contrast is what makes Thanksgiving the best day of the year. Being pensive and happy normally do not mix as well as it does on the one-day summary of the autumn season.

Thank goodness for Thanksgiving. Let us all be thankful for all that we have and re-commit ourselves to being our best selves for our families and our communities in the future. Have a great Thanksgiving and may it be filled with smiles and good food alongside family.