Thanksgiving

I wonder how a Stoic would feel about Thanksgiving.  Giving thanks for all the nice stuff we have is very pleasant, and certainly helps us appreciate the things we have.  But wouldn't a Stoic say that these things we are thankful are not ours?  Today I'm thankful to be in good health, for instance, but tomorrow that could be taken away from me.  To be thankful is to acknowledge that we desire something, and to desire something that is outside of our power to affect will only bring us misery later on.

Still, this seems to me to be taking things too far.  Giving thanks may not lead to desire.  We can appreciate things that are ultimately unimportant.  We have to, and the Stoics at least in some circumstances seem to agree.  Epictetus writes:

But, Epicurus knew that, if once a child is born, it is no longer in our power not to love and be solicitous for it.  

Some things, like children, are just inherently lovable.  We can't not have them because doing so will force us to value something outside of our own actions.  It's natural for us to be appreciative of our family, our health, and everything good in our life.  I think the key is to value them in the moment, and not to value them in the future.  That's where the moral danger comes in, because desire is based on future valuations.

I'm happy now with the things I enjoy, but I will try not to value that which should not be valued.