It’s again that time of year to be thankful, even more so than other times of the year.

The Thanksgiving holiday gives us time to take a pause in our lives and reflect on the truly important things — not the fancy cars or cool gadgets or money. Strip away all those material things and think for a minute — what could you possibly be thankful for?

Well, for one, if you’re reading this, which apparently you are, you have that amazing power of literacy. Some take it for granted, but take a minute to remember all those teachers who helped you along the way. And be thankful. They didn’t give up on you.

Maybe you’re thankful for your family. The love and support family members give you can be incredible at times, and make every day worth living and becoming a better person … and to return that love and support.

How about those friends? Aside from family, there is nothing you wouldn’t do for your best friends, and vice-versa.

If you share a faith in a higher being or power, you can take hold of it firmly to guide you through troubled waters, and certainly be thankful for that.

You have your freedoms. You can vote, disagree, shake your head, wag your finger, have an opinion, demand your rights, file a lawsuit, get out of a bad marriage, have a Facebook profile, text, Tweet, write a letter to your congressman, drink diet soda, drink a few beers, get carry-out, go dancing, rent a movie, change your oil, change your cable/satellite service, change your mind…

Or … not.

But you can be thankful to have those freedoms.

Locally, some groups are coming together to provide Thanksgiving meals for those who might otherwise not receive a nourishing dinner on this special day. When volunteers get together to help feed the less fortunate, that is definitely something to be thankful for. It’s hard to imagine a world without the selfless acts of these outstanding volunteers — all of them.

Here are a couple of Thanksgiving goings-on today in the community:

• Westside Elementary, meals for homeless children and their families.

• The Osceola County Council on Aging will host its annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner today from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Barney E. Veal Center, 700 Generation Point, Kissimmee. There is no cost for the dinner.

Any individual or business interested in contributing to the dinner with shelf staple canned goods, pies or turkeys can contact the Council at 407-483-1493. To volunteer to deliver home-delivered meals contact Connie Bellanceau at 407-933-9525.