With tomorrow being Thanksgiving I starting to ponder the things I am thankful for. Of course, the first things which come to mind are: my friends, my family, having a roof over my head, being able to eat good meals three times a day, and the like.

Then, I began to consider what else I have to be thankful for, the things which I might not think about everyday, and I came to one which is more important than all. There is one thing that we, as Americans, should all be thankful for. This thing should unite us as one, and cause us to stand together. This thing is out troops.

Every single day, they put their lives on the line, and for what? For us. They get out there in the line of fire, risking everything, for us. And why? Because they care. They care about America, they care about Americans, and they care about our freedoms.

They know that what they are doing is noble, honorable, and brave. They know that they are protecting the people back home from terrorism, death and destruction. They are dying so that we can live. But do you ever think about that? Do you take time everyday to think about the great sacrifice these people make for you and your family?

Unless you have a family member who fought in The War on Terror, chances are you don’t. I am not saying that you never do, or that you are not thankful because you don’t think about it. What I am saying is that we go about our daily lives, taking for granted everything we have, everything that these people are giving us. Never stopping to thank them, or even really think about it.

So please, for a moment, try to put yourself in their shoes. Picture yourself being thousands of miles away from everything you know: your friends, your family, your house. You town, your car, your job. Your neighborhood Vons or Blue Bird Drive. Dinner with the people you love. And so much more.

Now, picture yourself in the middle of a war torn region of the desert. It is dark, it is dry. You walk, tired from the weight you carry in armor and ammo. You think you hear something so you stop. Almost piercing your eyes you try harder than ever to see something, anything which might reveal to you what to do next. You listen. The sound of the night, the sound of deathly quiet, hurts your head.

Then, when you think all is fine…gunshots. All around, piercing the once quiet night which you now regret mocking. You are in the middle of a firefight with no way to see the enemy. You duck down under something, you don’t know what. A friend from your unit is close enough so that you can barely make out the shape of his face. He nods and you know what he means. You roll out and open fire on anything, do everything you can to live.

Now, I want you to think about what it must feel like to have an experience like this. I want you to think about what it must feel like to go back to the base that night, knowing that half way around the globe your family is sitting down to a giant turkey dinner. They are laughing and having a great time and you can’t be there. But it’s okay, because you are doing a noble thing.

But at the end of the day, when you sit down at the aforementioned table, and it seems as though your piling more food onto your plate than you’ve eaten all year. When you smell the rich pool of gravy rolling down the side of your mashed potato mountain. The creamed corn oozing in all of its deliciousness, and the turkey, tender and tasty.

This is the time when you should think about them, if only for a moment. Think about what they are giving up so you can have this meal, so you can have your life. Think about it and be thankful, if only for a moment.

And I would urge those in congress and the lefties around the country, who would otherwise not give a damn in the world, to be thankful, if only for a moment. To put aside their conspiracy theories, and Bush Hatred Syndrome. To forget about time tables for withdrawal, and stop thinking about ways to undermine our President.

To care less about how they can cleverly weave armor and ammo out of the next war funding bill in an attempt to end something which can’t be ended just yet; or dress in pink and cause disruptions and otherwise peaceful proceedings. All in the name of what? Justice? Peace? Happiness? No! Nothing other than a fantasy ideology which, in their haste, they have created in an attempt to brainwash the American people into turning on the foundations of this country, and bite the hand which has fed them (and their ancestors) for over 200 years.

Please, think about them, the ones who have given you everything, and continue to do so everyday despite the weary attitude of some at home. If only for a moment, think about them, the ones who would do anything to save your sorry a-s if need be, regardless of anything you have said about them in the past.

And while your at it, please take advantage of a system set up by the Department of Justice in conjunction with wireless carriers AT&T, Verizon, Sprint Nextel, and T-Mobile. By sending a FREE text message to the troops at number 89279 you can tell them yourself how thankful you are for their great service.

What have you got to lose? Nothing, it’s free, and it’s kind. Tell the people who have given up everything for you how much it means to you, and that although they can’t celebrate Thanksgiving with their families, you will do it for them. For you are thankful for them. And only minutes after sending a message you will receive heartfelt replies from actual soldiers in the field of battle, who wholeheartedly appreciate your kindness. This system will end tomorrow, so hurry!

The final word, then, is this. Happy Thanksgiving America! Seize the day for all it’s worth and be thankful, be thankful for what you have and how you got it. Be thankful for the things that matter right away, like your friends and family, for that’s a given. But also be thankful for the things that, while you don’t think of them right away, matter just as much as anything else. Those who fight for you.

Regardless of your position on the war, or what side of the partisan fence you stand on, this is a day for Americans to give thanks. And who better to give it to then those who allow us to call ourselves Americans. Happy Thanksgiving to all those who bravely serve this country in the Middle East and all around the world!