Way back when, I could only dream of a full grocery cart like this. As a rookie reporter with a $13,000 salary, I carried my pocket calculator, punching in every item to make sure I didn't overdraw my checking account. (No cell phones, kids, and no apps - which might strike some as a bigger hardship than the financial one.)

The calculating didn't take long. I almost always qualified for the 12-items-or-less register - unless Ramen was on sale. Oh, the jackpot abundance of four-for-a-dollar!

All these years later, I think about that every time I fill my cart, no longer having to tally every item I put in it. I still look for sales, a habit taught by my mom, the goddess of bargain hunting, but what an incredible thing to pick any food I want, anything my family wants, and to live in this kind of luxury and abundance. It's like winning the lottery.

If there's no math involved in you filling your cart for Thanksgiving, or Christmas, or for your weekly meals, recognize your incredible good fortune in being able to buy every single item you stack high. And grab something for someone else, too. Blessings are never meant to be just for us, but to be shared with those whose carts are empty.

May we be sure that all will feast this Thanksgiving and beyond, and may we be grateful for every morsel.