Gratitude in a Chaotic World

Late November Reflections on Veterans Day and Thanksgiving

November always feels like a hinge month to me. The year is almost gone, a new one is just ahead, and we find ourselves caught between what has been and what is yet to come.

In that space, two powerful days anchor this month in a special way: Veterans Day and Thanksgiving.

One calls us to remember.

The other calls us to give thanks.

And if we let them, together they can help recalibrate our hearts in a world that feels increasingly chaotic, divided, and rushed.

Remembering the Gift of Service

Veterans Day is more than parades, discounts, or patriotic posts on social media. At its core, it is a national “thank you” to the men and women who raised their right hand and said, “Send me.”

Some served in quiet outposts that never made the news. Others served in places and moments that shaped history. Many came home different than they left—carrying memories, burdens, and scars that most people will never see. And some never made it home at all.

The Power of Thanksgiving in Difficult Times

A few weeks after Veterans Day, many of us gather around tables filled with food, family, and laughter. We call it Thanksgiving, but if we’re honest, sometimes it feels more like Stress-giving:

• Travel delays

• Family tensions

• Empty seats where loved ones used to sit

• Quiet worries we carry about health, finances, or the future

And yet, Thanksgiving is not about pretending everything is perfect. It’s about choosing to see and acknowledge the blessings of God in spite of what isn’t perfect. Gratitude is not denial—it’s a decision.

I’ve learned over the years that thanksgiving is most powerful when life is most complicated. When we give thanks in hard seasons, something happens inside us:

• Our focus shifts from what we lack to what we have.

• Our hearts soften toward others.

• Our perspective widens beyond the crisis of the moment.

Gratitude doesn’t erase pain, but it does keep pain from becoming the whole story.

What I’m Thankful For This November

As I slow down and look back over this year, my heart is full. I’d need more than a single blog post to capture it all, but here are a few things I’m deeply grateful for this November:

• My faith, which has carried me through seasons of war, leadership challenges, family transitions, and major life changes. God has been faithful in every chapter.

• My family, especially my wife, Edith, who has walked beside me through every deployment, promotion, move, and new assignment. Our daughters, now leaders in their own right, continue to make us proud.

• The privilege of serving, both in uniform and in law enforcement, and now through leadership consulting, teaching, speaking, and writing. I don’t take it lightly that I get to pour into leaders who carry enormous responsibilities.

• The people I’ve led and served with, from young soldiers and police recruits to seasoned executives and community leaders. Each conversation, each shared challenge, and each victory has shaped my understanding of leadership and legacy.

• You—this community, who read the blogs, support the mission, invite me into your organizations, and are committed to becoming better leaders in your families, workplaces, and communities.

Every email, handshake, conversation, and connection is a reminder that our lives are most meaningful when they are poured into others.

Gratitude as a Leadership Discipline

Gratitude isn’t just a feeling we have around Thanksgiving—it’s a leadership discipline.

Leaders who practice gratitude:

• See people more clearly – They notice the ones working behind the scenes, the quiet contributors, the faithful few who keep things moving.

• Lead with humility – They understand they didn’t get where they are alone. Someone opened a door, spoke a word, made a sacrifice, or took a risk on them.

• Create healthier cultures – In a grateful environment, people feel seen, valued, and encouraged. That kind of culture outperforms one built on fear and constant criticism.

In my military and law enforcement career, I’ve seen units with limited resources accomplish remarkable things because the leaders made people feel appreciated and trusted. I’ve also seen organizations with every advantage struggle because gratitude was missing and people felt like cogs in a machine.

Gratitude doesn’t cost a budget line, but it may be one of the highest-yield investments a leader can make.

Closing Thoughts

Veterans Day calls us to remember those who stood in the gap. Thanksgiving calls us to recognize the blessings that surround us.

Between those two days lies a powerful invitation:

To live with greater awareness, deeper gratitude, and more intentional leadership.

My prayer for you this season is that your heart will slow down enough to notice what God is doing in and around you—that even in the middle of complexity and uncertainty, you’ll find reasons to give thanks.

Thank you for walking this journey of life, legacy, and leadership with me.

Happy Thanksgiving—and to all our veterans and their families, thank you.

A.C. Roper

Lieutenant General (Army, Retired)