Thanksgiving in Unstable Times

The dawn of the year ushered in an earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster none
anticipated; laying waste to a huge expanse of land, perhaps for generations.  It
has permanently altered many lives. 

Mother nature has repeatedly buffeted our sense of security with earthquakes in
Turkey, floods in Thailand and weather of severe extremes throughout.  It seems
unrelenting, no sooner have we grappled to regain our balance, we get blindsided
again.

Our sense of economic balance is equally unsteady.  No sooner have the financial
markets seemed to establish an upward direction, we get hit with unexpected
volatility.  The market swoons with the mention of Greece; one day it is resolved,
the next not.  If Disney designed a roller coaster with such peaks and lows, it
would not be approved for human safety.

Even with this headline focus, we remain concerned the underlying issues of growth,
job creation and repossession are not resolved; but remain and will contribute to
the next aftershock.

It seems this financial volatility is happening more often and with higher
amplitude.  It shakes our sense of security, ability to plan and control our own
destiny.  The risk of default, unemployment, and repossession never leave our
economic threshold. Our faith in economic truths has been shaken to its core.  We
gaze out of the shells of our former impregnable financial security dazed.

But we take stock in the quiet determination of the stoic Japanese who, when
confronted with the unimaginable, demonstrate the power of human cooperation.  Their
lives and sense of security shaken forever.  They may never be able to return to
their homes and previous lives.  Their dreams inexorably altered.

Yet, they show us what is truly most valued, the safety of family.

As the vibrations of this financial earthquake shake us, we need to seek the one
constant refuge; we need to step back and assess what is important and understand
how blessed we are.

It is in this time of the calendar we have a holiday dedicated just for that purpose.

If we did not have a holiday like Thanksgiving to remind us to stop from our busy
schedules and assess the many blessings we have, we would have to invent such a
time.

It is my hope you and your family and friends will be together during this holiday
season and renew again your special relationships.

Happy Thanksgiving!

George McClelland