For most Americans, the period of time between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day can be very joyful or very depressing depending upon one's situation and perspective. Some people can have very little materially, but be far happier than those who have millions in the bank.

How many military couples can look back upon the first years of their marriages when they were living from pay check to pay check, eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, worried about how they were going to make ends meet on E-3 pay after their child was born, but, were very happy?

Those "things" that make us happy are ordinarily the "things" for which we are most grateful. When ABC News conducted a poll asking Americans what they were most grateful for, their # 1 answer was their families. In so far as most military personnel today are married with children, the results of such a poll taken in the armed forces would probably yield similar results.

Despite the fact that military divorce rates have increased particularly among those who have experienced back to back deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, there is still much to be said in favor of military family life. Not only can one come to experience an unparalled closeness with military friends and neighbors that is often not achieved in the civilian world, so too are there many military agencies, organizations and individuals that reach out to offer help in time of need.

In so far as "happiness stems from an appreciation of who you are and what you have received; whereas, unhappiness derives from a preoccupation with who you are not or what you have not received," I encourage you between now and New Year's Day to make a list of all the things for which you are thankful. When I asked some people what they were most grateful for, here are some of the responses I received:

My husband, John,* who returned home safe from Iraq.
Kathy, a nurse at Walter Reed, who helped me realize I have something to live for.
My wife, Maria, who ‘held down the fort' and took care of the kids while I was deployed.
My drill instructor who turned my life around and motivated me like no human being ever did.
Laura, my fiancée, who wrote me a letter every day of my deployment.
Chaplain Cash, who worked hard to get me home before my father died.
Chief Master Sergeant Baggage, who talked me out of marrying the wrong person for the wrong reasons.
My neighbors, Mark and Terri, who drove me to the hospital when Alexis was born.
*In some cases, the names have been changed to maintain anonymity.

While these are only a sampling of many responses, you'll note that the respondents are primarily thankful for "people" and not "things." Even though a few people who responded identified objects (e.g., a Tiffany engagement ring) for which they were thankful, in almost every case the objects were symbolic of a love relationship with someone special.

Who or what do you have to be thankful for? Having just given birth to twins, my wife and I would put our children, Sasha and Luke, on the top of our list. Are there family members or friends you love deeply? Do they know it? Do you show it? The upcoming holiday season is not only a time to count your blessings, but also a time to let your spouse, child, parent, neighbor, nurse, or even a D.I. or teacher from the past know how much they mean to you. Send a card, write a very personal note, buy a gift. And if you're worried about how much it will cost, remember: "What you have you cannot keep; what you give away, you keep forever."