In these uncertain times, we should be thankful for Thanksgiving. It’s the holiday we Americans need today – a celebration of bounty, amid an uncertain future. We’re all Pilgrims now, as it were.

Current attitudes are being shaped by losses: jobs, wages, credit scores, Dow Jones industrials average, or in some cases, homes in foreclosure. Of all these indicators, it is our confidence that has maybe fallen farthest.

It’s a Great Depression, alright. But not economically.

As a nation and culture, we need to catch our breath. Few of us except our elders have experienced such turmoil, and their stories of sacrifice, suffering and survival – compared to our recent go-go history – are scare-inducing.

Unsteady reaction from our leaders has exacerbated the problem. As losses mount and they scramble, it is easy to lose sight of what we have, the assets of value we hold [unlike our 401(k)s], and the common bonds that unite us.

Thanksgiving is needed because of the sentiments it symbolizes and the reflection it inspires. This holiday reminds us that our wealth is not found in what might be fleeting, but what we draw upon in trying times.

And that things always seem darkest before the dawn.

At the core, this is what Thanksgiving signifies. Sure, over the years, it has moved from a mere celebration of harvest to a feast of more-than-plenty, giant balloon creatures over Manhattan in the morning, football in Detroit and Dallas in the afternoon, travel nightmares and battle plans for “Black Friday” shopping excursions.

These are minor comforts given today’s news, though. Each passing day seems to bring direr predictions of widespread ruin, and louder calls for swift action to stem the decline.

So, if there ever was a time when a holiday that demands attention to our bounties and unites the nation in strong traditions rooted in the perseverance of our forebears when the future seemed bleak, it is now.

As individuals, we all have reasons to be thankful on this holiday. Our blessings are our own; we urge everyone to celebrate them as they wish.

But collectively, we should be thankful to have a Thanksgiving to celebrate today.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.