By John Ubaldi, “Ubaldi Reports”

Thanksgiving is a time to spend with family, friends and to reflect on our own lives. Often many will also laminate one’s own shortcomings never reflecting on the blessings of living in the United States and the benefits that brings.

No one has ever said America is a perfect country, we have our difficulties, and we definitely have our problems such as homelessness, crime, and economic uncertainty for far too many, but we shouldn’t focus on the negative aspect of American life when we have the ability to solve many of these issues.

Only weeks ago, America endured a midterm election, which was the most contentious in recent memory, with one side claiming without evidence that if one political party wins there will violence and the end of our republic.

Unfortunately, this never materialized, there was no violence, there were no military forces in the streets of American cities or in the capital city of Washington D.C., the country accepted the results of the elections. Even those where the election results didn’t go there way accepted the eventual outcome.

Thanksgiving to me has always been about expressing the gratitude for my family, the friends in my life who have always been there for me, no matter my circumstances. This is also a time to reflect on how blessed we are to live in this majestic country, where millions around the world would give anything including their own lives to live in.

Having spent thirty years in the Marine Corps with combat deployments to both Iraq, Afghanistan, and other locals across the globe, many people I have encountered have expressed to me the wiliness they share on how they would do everything they can to someday come to America.

Far too often we only look at our own circumstance but never looking at the entire evolution of our lives. I could focus on my own economic situation, how I am not where I would like to be, my business is nowhere near where I would definitely like it to be, considering the amount of time and money I have put into it.

This year alone I was employed in an industry that I never would have dreamed I would be working, but you do what you have to do to meet your financial obligations, now I work in a position slightly better, but one where I can expand my business.

Even my own living situation, is less than ideal, but without the help of a close friend, I would be in a far different predicament.

Instead of focusing on the negative I am so thankful for what I do have!

This may be Clichy, the one are I am blessed is with health. For too many people at my stage of life are dealing with health issues, because of my lifestyle choices I was told at a recent health assessment at work, was informed you are healthier then individuals who are decades younger then you.

The one area that I am thankful for is my family, even though they are thousands of miles away they still benefit me in ways I could never have anticipated.

In the absence of family, close friends fill the gap, I am so thankful for the close friends who are in my life, who have helped me in ways that are unimaginable. The help they provide in my personnel life, and the way they help in my business pursuits.

Anyone is truly blessed to have one close fiend that you can rely on, I am eternally thankful to have a couple close friends.

Nothing would be complete without thanking our eternal creator who has blessed me in many different ways, even when I don’t recognize his eternal hand in my life; I thank him every day for what he has blessed me with.

Instead of this Thanksgiving, we should be eternally grateful for what we do have, what we have been blessed with, and finally to be able to live in America, which gives us the opportunity to peruse our dreams.

This Thanksgiving is a time to give a day of thanks.