I wonder if America being so new diminishes our long term thinking. We seem to not have as much forward-looking perspective as our European and other international brethren.

Americans are immersed in luxury and convenience, and it’s all too easy for us to forget how much hardship exists in other parts of the world. Gratitude is not our normal mode of operation; we have to insist we live with it.

Part of maintaining gratitude is recognizing how we can spread it, to different people and across time to future generations. We can be grateful for all we enjoy now, and offer that opportunity to those who come after.