Give thanks to the Almighty for all the blessings around you ...

Yesterday was the day of Thanksgiving in the United States and probably the second most important family holiday in this country. All the city was just vacant of its people in the streets ...

People usually gather at night around the thanksgiving dinner table with the family members or their loved ones and celebrate the night by eating an oven-cooked turkey prepared especially for this holiday ...

Regardless of the history behind this in the States, it is indeed a very nice tradition to spend a joyful night with the family giving thanks for all the blessings one could have in her/his life. Having this said, on the other hand, this made me really think that how much I have missed my beloved family who are living miles away from me and I who have locked myself in this country for my PhD education ...

Indeed there are many many great blessings around us to be thankful for ... but this thanksgiving should be accompanied by awareness and acknowledgement of these blessing inside and then making efforts to help as many needy people as possible ... Since it has once been well said by Sa'adi (Great Persian Poet) that:

"Being thankful for a powerful arm ... is through ... lending it as helping hand to the needy" ...