On Thanksgiving, millions of fellow Americans will gather around the table to celebrate this holiday that is uniquely ours. It is a time for reflecting, enjoying family and friends, and of course, giving thanks.  The eating associated with our modern holiday finds its origins with a specific event in the fall of 1621. The Pilgrims celebrated what is now considered the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth Colony,  Massachusetts. These settlers gathered with members of the Wampanoag tribe in a celebration that marked their first bountiful harvest following a challenging year.  And they were thankful. Today at Thanksgiving, we give thanks for many things – our families, our homes, our health….and our country; our country that would not be what it is without the sacrifices of so many men and women.  Today, I present ten reasons to be thankful for our Veterans: 1. For your courage. 2. For at times, risking your lives. 3. For giving up your freedoms so others don't have to. 4. For the irony of returning from deployment to a homeland that’s not conflict-free. 5. For enduring long separations from your families.  6. For your willingness to serve others. 7. For making tomorrow better for the children of today. 8. For the legacy you leave to your families. 9. For your physical and mental endurance. 10. For considering it an honor to serve.