Dear Readers: Thanksgiving has a way of sneaking up on us, doesn’t it? One minute we’re rushing through the year, taking the kids to games and meeting deadlines, and the next we’re standing over turkey and wondering how the year flew by so fast. But beneath the noise of the dinner table and all the pie crusts, this day gives us something rare: a reason to pause, look around and feel grateful. Life isn’t perfect, but it’s life, and we’re all blessed to live it.

The poet Rumi once said, “Wear gratitude like a cloak and it will feed every corner of your life.” I like that image because it suggests gratitude isn’t something we express once a year; it’s something we live in. It keeps us warm when life feels cold, and it reminds us that grace often shows up in small, unremarkable ways.

Marcus Aurelius wrote, “When you arise in the morning, think of what a privilege it is to be alive — to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” He wasn’t talking about grand success or perfect days. He was talking about ordinary mornings — the kind most of us rush through without a thought. Gratitude, at its core, is simply paying attention.

I know that not every Thanksgiving table feels easy. Some of you are carrying grief or sitting across from someone you don’t quite know how to talk to. Some are eating alone, remembering years when the house was louder. Gratitude doesn’t ignore that; it coexists with it. It says, “Even here, even now, there is something worth holding on to.”

Maybe this year, gratitude means calling someone you’ve been meaning to forgive. Maybe it’s finding humor in the burnt rolls or the mismatched chairs. Or maybe it’s just saying thank you — not for anything fancy, but for the everyday kindnesses that often go unnoticed.

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously.” That’s what I hope for all of us — that gratitude becomes less about a single Thursday in November and more about how we move through the other 364 days of the year.

So as you sit at your table, take a moment, whether it’s full of family and friends or not. Look around. The world is far from perfect, but there’s still love, warmth, laughter and second chances.

Thank you, dear readers, for being part of this column, for sharing your stories and your hearts. You remind me every week what connection really means.

Wishing you a Thanksgiving full of peace, honesty and the kind of gratitude that lingers long after the dishes are done.

Read more Dear Annie and other advice columns.

“How Can I Forgive My Cheating Partner?” is out now! Annie Lane’s second anthology — featuring favorite columns on marriage, infidelity, communication and reconciliation — is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit Creators Publishing for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com.