A trusted friend once told me she starts each day by making a mental note of the things she’s grateful for, and it invariably sets the tone for a positive outlook. I’ve adopted this morning routine, and I highly recommend it.

On Thanksgiving Day, many families go around the dinner table giving everyone the opportunity to say what they’re thankful for, and when it’s my turn, boy, am I ready!

Hack’s Back Pages comes to you a day early this holiday week because I’d like to point out how uncanny it is that music has played such an important role in the many blessings I have received.

There’s a Spotify playlist at the end that includes each of the songs I refer to in my list of gratitudes.

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I’m thankful that my parents were such great role models who showed me the importance of The Golden Rule and close family ties.  They instilled in me a deep appreciation for great music — big band music, swing, Broadway musical tunes, classical pieces, traditional torch songs, seasonal carols.  They encouraged participation in church choirs and handbell groups, piano/guitar lessons, and my musical collaborations with friends (even though they weren’t always wild about some of the artists I chose to listen to!). As it turned out, I ended up instilling the same love for music of all kinds in my two daughters, one of whom became a professional singer-songwriter.  To underscore this gratitude, I would cue up “The Things We’ve Handed Down,” a beautiful tune by Marc Cohn from his 1993 LP, “The Rainy Season.” Here’s the crux of the message: “These things that we have given you, they are not so easily found, but you can thank us later for the things we’ve handed down…”

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I’m thankful to have met and married the most wonderful, compassionate, talented, attractive woman in the world, who, for 40 years now, has been my confidante, my best friend, my partner in parenting and grandparenting, and not coincidentally, my companion at countless rock concerts, and my number-one fan when I pull out the guitar! I’m one lucky guy to have had her love and gentle guidance, and benefitted from her enthusiasm and sense of humor. There’s no better song to cue up here than “My Girl,” The Temptations’ marvelous slow-dance tune from 1965, with these timeless lyrics: “I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day, when it’s cold outside I’ve got the month of May, I guess you’d say, what can make me feel this way? My girl, my girl, my girl, talkin’ ’bout my girl…”

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I’m thankful I was blessed with the chance to be a doting father to two amazing, smart, resourceful, beautiful daughters.  Nothing warms my heart more than having watched them grow from toddlers into strong young ladies who fill me with love and pride every single day.  They can both sing way better than I can, and I like to think I’m a big reason why music is a huge part of their lives.  They both follow artists I enjoy (as well as a few that don’t do much for me, naturally), and they are also big fans of vintage musicians I introduced them to, so I’ll cue up Paul Simon’s appropriately titled “Father and Daughter” from his 2006 album, “Surprise”: “I’m gonna watch you shine, gonna watch you grow, gonna paint a sign so you’ll always know, as long as one and one is two, there could never be a father who loved his daughter more than I love you…”

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I’m thankful that, while I wouldn’t describe myself as a religious guy, I have come to increasingly appreciate the strength and hope I am getting from my recent spiritual explorations.  Opening the door to the possibility of a higher power has brought me a genuine inner serenity I lacked, and has reminded me of the rewards of putting the needs of others before my own. When I was less receptive to spiritual messages, they nevertheless found their way in through the rich strains of chorales and church organs heard in places of worship. I still get chills sometimes when I hear a favorite hymn performed, bringing a deeper meaning now. The rock music fan in me would cue up Eric Clapton’s “Presence of the Lord,” from the album he made as part of Blind Faith in 1969. Sample lyrics: “I have finally found a way to live just like I never could before, I have finally found a way to live in the presence of the Lord…”

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I’m thankful that, despite a stent, “A-Fib,” a hip replacement, neuropathy concerns and ever-increasing aches and pains that seem to come on a daily basis, I’m doing all right for a 69-year-old.  As the saying goes, “If we have our health, we have a great deal.”  For me, music has cathartic qualities that contribute mightily to my well being. Hearing a favorite piece of music has always had the ability to soothe the body, the mind, and the soul.  Here’s where I cue up “I Got You (I Feel Good),” James Brown’s 1965 classic: Ow! I feel good, I knew that I would now, I feel good, I knew that I would, now, so good, so good, I got you…”

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I’m thankful for the incredible natural beauty you can find in this country, and around the world in which we live. Although the human race has despoiled far too much of it with our selfish and negligent ways, there are countless places we can go where the scenic vistas can literally take your breath away.  I’m hoping — begging, really — that we all work harder to be much more respectful of the environment so future generations have many more centuries left to enjoy it.  I suggest we cue up “Out in the Country,” the 1970 Three Dog Night hit with these lyrics: “Before the breathing air is gone, before the sun is just a bright spot on the nighttime, out where the rivers like to roam, I stand alone and take back something worth remembering…”

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I’m thankful how lucky I am to have had such warm, funny, supportive friends in my life.  I have one compadre I’ve known since we were four years old, and I have new friends I met less than five years ago, and they are all very dear to me. They bring me joy in so many ways, helping me celebrate and grieve as the situations warrant. Through the years, one of the things I’ve most enjoyed doing with friends is singing around backyard bonfires and patio fire pits, or volleying music/lyric trivia questions back and forth, or dancing the night away to the oldies. Time to cue up “Friends” by Elton John (1971) with these lyrics: “With a friend at hand, you will see the light, if your friends are there, then everything’s all right…”.

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I’m thankful to now be living in a safe, comfortable home in the bustling “Music City,” otherwise known as Nashville, Tennessee. While I will always cherish my 40 years in Cleveland, Ohio, my 17 years in Atlanta, Georgia, and my 11 years in Santa Monica and Pacific Palisades, California, I am thrilled to be living near one of my daughters, her husband and my grandson. It brings the idea of a close family full circle, and this town offers the added benefit of numerous live music venues where I can hear scads of wildly talented musicians I’ve never heard before. Let’s cue up “Nashville Cats,” a 1966 track by The Lovin’ Spoonful with these lyrics: “Yeah, there’s thirteen hundred and fifty-two guitar cases in Nashville, and any one that unpacks his guitar could play twice as better than I will…”

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I’m thankful for the wisdom I learned not long ago from this important philosophical life lesson:  “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift, and that’s why they call it the present.”  Essentially, it’s “don’t cry over spilled milk, don’t worry about things you can’t control, be in the now.”  With that in mind, I think the late great George Harrison would appreciate it if I cued up “Just for Today” from his 1988 album, “Cloud Nine.” Its message is so succinct: “Just for today, I could try to live through this day only, not deal with all life’s problems, just for today…”

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I’m thankful for the way I am revitalized, soothed, inspired, comforted, astounded and exhilarated by music of (almost) all kinds, in all settings, all day and night, whether listening or participating.  I love to cue up the 1976 track by Average White Band whose chorus joyously exclaims,  “Music, sweet music, you’re the Queen Of My Soul…”

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I’m thankful that I seem to have what some refer to as an encyclopedic mind for music trivia, which has helped me recall everything from the lyrics of “Louie Louie” to which Alice Cooper album reached #1 on the charts. I also love digging into music reference books and rock biographies to learn more back stories. It allows me to assemble some appealing theme-based playlists, such as the dozen tracks below about thanks and gratitude to mark the Thanksgiving holiday.

May the holidays bring you gratitude, grace, good tidings and the desire to give more than receive.

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