Today, a good percentage of Americans are taking stock of their blessings, of those things for which they are most thankful. That’s the essence of a Thanksgiving, however it might be often buried under Black Friday and other holiday shopping distractions, and other trappings of this time of year.

Surely, thankfulness extends first and foremost to the obvious – family, friends, health, well-being, happiness, security and freedom.

Each year, though, aren’t there lesser issues, the unexpected, maybe even the random that end up being things for which we are thankful. By the late fall, in some cases, we might even have forgotten them. But that doesn’t make them any less important or any less worthy of recognition. A random act of kindness in March warrants consideration on Thanksgiving, after all.

Consider a couple of related stories that Minot Daily News reported on this year.

In October, Eric Schmidt, a driver for R&J’s Towing in Minot, was commended for going above and beyond when he helped a father of the bride, George Lowther, and his granddaughter with a vehicle having mechanical problems on the day they were going to a wedding. With Schmidt’s help, they got to the wedding.

“He saved the day,” Lowther said of Schmidt, who had tailed the ailing car and made sure Lowther and his granddaughter made it to their destination.

This month, Gene Cook, also an employee of R&J Towing Service of Minot, was given a standing ovation at a meeting of the Ward County Commission. The spontaneous response followed the reading of a letter of appreciation by Sheriff Bob Barnard. On November 4, Cook was called to help with a vehicle on U.S. Highway 83. When he arrived, a woman in the vehicle was experiencing medical problems and asked for an ambulance. She collapsed shortly thereafter and Cook began administering CPR. He continued doing so until until the arrival of first responders.

How are those as things for which to be thankful?

It isn’t just the large, everyday, life-molding experiences that enrich our lives with things for which to be grateful.

Today, let’s remember the less obvious things as well as we count our blessings. They are all around us.

Happy Thanksgiving from Minot Daily News.