This Thanksgiving, let’s be thankful for giving thanks. Research has shown that practicing gratitude is a good way to deal with stress or anxiety. The simple act of saying a sincere thank you, or just counting one’s blessings, can offer a cornucopia of mental and physical benefits .
So we’re fortunate to have a national holiday dedicated to showing appreciation, reminding us to seek the good in our fellow Americans, our shared experiences and ourselves. In that spirit, here are some of the people, events and more for which we’re grateful:
— Voters in the city and county of Los Angeles embraced major ethics and government reforms this fall. The city will get independent redistricting and a stronger Ethics Commission, while the county will gain a larger Board of Supervisors, an elected executive (a kind of county mayor) and, for the first time, its own ethics commission. These changes should give residents more representation, transparency and accountability.
— The federal government designated the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary off California’s Central Coast to protect the area’s biodiversity and cultural heritage. The more than 4,500-square-mile preserve will be the first in California to be managed in cooperation with Indigenous peoples.