Despite the fact summer's heat and humidity just recently relented, and tree leaves are finally changing colors and falling to the ground, it is the time for turkey and dressing with a side order of reflection.

Thanksgiving is here. While it seems to have arrived a little sooner than usual, that doesn't mean I won't be ready to belly- up to the dinner table and eat macaroni and cheese until I go up a pants size or two.

That other part of Thanksgiving, the important part, might be a little tougher though. I'm not talking about the Detroit Lions or any football game. I'm talking about my reasons to be thankful.

The latter part of this year has been rough and frankly, I'm ready for 2008. My dad had a heart attack earlier this summer followed by quadruple bypass surgery. Just when we thought he was done with that, he had a massive stroke a month later and passed away.

Not long after losing him, my house was struck by lightning. Then I found out because of certain symptoms I was exhibiting I would have to have one of those invasive medical procedures reserved mainly for folks in their 50s.

Of course, I have to stew in my own hypochondriatic imagination because the procedure can't be done for a couple of months. Meanwhile, while I'm waiting, my youngest daughter took a shot to the chest from a soccer ball during one of her games and collapsed in her mother's arms. We spent that Saturday in the emergency room.

Needless to say, 2007 has not been one of my favorite years, but it's still not hard to find reasons to be thankful.

My dad did not suffer, and he was my best friend for nearly 38 years. That's more than a lot of people get.

My house did not burn down. According to the multiple firemen who came to my home, we were lucky we just lost a few electronic devices and not the entire house.

I'll get through my little procedure. If Katie Curic can do it on national television, then I'll be fine.

My daughter is fine, too. Her chest is still a bit sore, but her budding soccer career is not over, although, Mom and Dad watch her games with a whole new level of interest.

The point is, even though my year has gone like a bad country and western song, it could always have been worse. I don't know suffering compared to millions of families out there. So I am thankful for a lot this year. I have my memories, my house, my health, and my daughter. How could I ask for more?

At one point this summer, I was begging for a speck of good news, but what I didn't realize was that good news surrounds me every day. I haven't won the lottery or any awards. In fact, nothing spectacular has happened to me. Waiting for that spectacular news is a recipe for disappointment. Taking pleasure in the little things is a guarantee for happiness.

Good news is when my son makes it through a day at pre- school without crying and can't wait to tell me about it or when my youngest daughter scores the winning goal at her soccer game. I'm happy when my oldest daughter gets the exact part she hoped for in the school play and when my wife manages to stay awake past 10 pm. Good news is when I finish another column. That doesn't sound like much, and it may seem a little pathetic to some, but it's the little things that sustain me and the little things I treasure.