Happy Thanksgiving!

Over the next few days, many of us will gather around the dinner table and share a traditional Thanksgiving meal with our families, friends, and loved ones. Turkeys will be carved, pies will be consumed … naps-caused-by-overeating will be taken.

And though it may sound like a bit cliché, this really is a day to give pause and reflect on all that we have to be thankful for. With all the chaos and commotion that life can bring, it’s easy to lose sight of the positive things we have in our lives. So whether it’s during the football game, at the dinner table, or right before you doze off into your turkey nap, try and take a moment to appreciate all that you have that’s good in your life. I know for me it certainly helps to put things into perspective.

Having said that, I just want to wish all of you a safe and Happy Thanksgiving this year!

Friday the 13th

If you happen to be superstitious, then today will either bring you plenty of good luck --- or enough bad luck to make you want to hole up and hide in a cave. There is at least one Friday the 13th every year, but this year is unusual because there are three. The first occurred in February, the second in March and now today. The occurrence of three will not happen again until 2015.

Most people in Western society know that the number 13 is considered unlucky. Like most folklore, there is no definitive reason for this fear, but this superstition has appeared throughout ancient history and has been attributed to the Norse, the Last Supper and the Knights Templar. Have you ever noticed that many buildings, particularly hotels, do not have a 13th floor? Many cities don’t have a 13th street, a number of airlines skip row 13 all together, and you won’t find a “room 13” in most hospitals. Even President Franklin D. Roosevelt refused to travel on the 13th day of any month.

Similarly, Friday itself is also considered to be unlucky. Historically, it’s bad luck to start a trip or sail a ship on Friday, give birth, move or start a new job. So it makes sense that many cultures have linked Friday and the number 13 to a very unlucky day.

So how about you – is Friday 13th a good or bad luck day for you? Are there any other superstitions that get to you?