Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, a holiday which seems uniquely American with its history of Pilgrims, Indians and Plymouth Rock. The history that we will celebrate tomorrow is our own, but the need to be grateful and to express our thanks is as human as it gets. Native Americans give thanks for their connectedness to the Great Spirit. Muslims all over the world fall to their knees and praise Allah. Christians give thanks in the form of a prayer, known as a grace.

What is so universal about giving thanks? Even if one does not believe in a higher power, it is clear that we could be a lot worse off than we are. Especially in this country, most of us have enough to eat, money to buy clothes and at least minimal access to health care. Most of the world has none of these things. That’s a lot to be thankful for.

On this day before Thanksgiving, count your blessings, but I want to warn you about a trap that many fall into who have lots of things to be thankful for. When you have a lot of stuff, more than you need, it is easy to be afraid that you might lose it. That is a common, but not a happy, place to be. It is very hard to say a prayer of thanksgiving with both hands, while you are trying to hold on with one hand to all your possessions.

Tomorrow, just say thanks, and let the day after bring what it may.