It’s Thanksgiving 2009, and believe or not, there’s plenty for which to be thankful.

First and foremost, perhaps, we must give thanks for living in a nation blessed with nature’s bounty — which is doubly true for those of us fortunate enough to inhabit this beautiful Central Coast.

We can be thankful that the worst economic slump in nearly three-quarters of a century apparently is winding down. There are still dark areas of the economy, but at least an emerging recovery is sprinkling rays of light in those once-bleak corners.

Those of us fortunate enough to be sitting down to the usual Thanksgiving feast this afternoon and evening can give thanks for that simple reality.

But at the same time, we need to pause for a moment to consider the millions of Americans who don’t have jobs, don’t have enough to eat, and whose lives may now seem on the cusp of disaster.

If we can’t think of them, and of finding ways to end their hardships, we really haven’t earned the right to fully enjoy our good fortune.

We are, at the moment, a nation riven by political disagreement, which sometimes erupts in ugly ways. But we need to give thanks that we live in a society that not only tolerates such disagreements, but openly encourages their full and complete vocalization.

Sometimes the vocalizing goes a step or two over the line, but in a way, that’s simply a demonstration of the passion with which Americans choose to live their lives.

We should give special thanks to the American men and women in uniform, during one of this nation’s more trying periods of conflict. Wars in two foreign lands are sapping our resources and emotional energy, a fact that is not lost on those who answer the call to military duty.

If you encounter a soldier today, please stop, take a minute to tell her or him how proud you are of their service, and how thankful you are of their willingness to make great sacrifices in the interests of freedom. They are the linchpins in that notion of allowing people of opposing views to argue openly and freely.

We can be thankful for those who have the courage to serve in government. Serving in public office is not the most popular of occupations these days, and most of us have strong opinions about how we think politicians could do a better job.

But we also understand that these are trying times, with one crisis after another. We certainly take our shots at politicians in this space, but beyond all that, we are truly thankful for those willing to serve — when so many of us will do little more than whine or complain about their performance.

Thanksgiving is many things to many people. For some, it is a day of great stress and tension, as they gird their loins for the Black Friday assault on retail stores. It’s called “Black Friday” because that’s the day many merchants actually get into the black financially for the year.

Many bemoan the commercialization of the holidays, but the simple truth is commercialism is what keeps this nation solvent. Without commerce — even on special holidays — insolvency is a distinct possibility.

There is something else to consider about this holiday. Americans have come to consider Thanksgiving to be all about family, and it is, indeed, that.

But the first Thanksgiving was a true multicultural, communitywide event. If it had been just about family, the Pilgrims would not have invited the Indians to join them. That spirit of multicultural friendship and cooperation is something to think about, in these times of growing intolerance about cultural and ethnic differences.

Just food for thought, on a day when Americans enjoy a good feast.