EDITORIAL HAPPY THANKSGIVING A LITTLE GRATITUDE GOES A LONG WAY.

IF you were to gauge the prosperity of the nation on a ledger sheet, Americans would have plenty to be grateful for this Thanksgiving.

Yet if you look at the time we spend on therapists' couches, the vast quantities of mood-altering drugs we consume and the myriad forms of escapism we indulge in -- from PlayStations to iPods to plasma TVs -- you would be hard-pressed to conclude that all our wealth has done much to make us happy.

What gives?

Unlike the pilgrims of four centuries ago, who were happy just to have secure shelter, good health and enough food on their plates, we couldn't be more comfortable.

The size of the average American home continues to grow, even as the average number of people inside it shrinks. Our health care system, for all its flaws, offers us ever-longer life spans. And for the overwhelming majority of Americans, even the poorest among us, our biggest food concern is that we eat too much of it.

True, the country is at war, and that no doubt creates a certain amount of psychic distress. But for most of us, the war is a distant abstraction. Heroic soldiers -- for whom we should certainly give thanks today -- fight the nation's enemies so we don't have to.

Which is to say, as a society, we have everything a people could ask for -- our health, our homes, our food, our security, and lots of toys -- and yet we remain discontent. Our entertainment media are full of an unmistakable angst and cynicism that bespeak a national attitude.

Maybe part of the problem is one that Thanksgiving is uniquely suited to address: A lack of gratefulness.

In an economy that forever encourages the acquisition of more -- mustn't be caught with an old PlayStation in your home! -- we seldom take stock of what we have. Maybe in our rush to work harder, get richer and accumulate more stuff, we lose sight of how little it all really matters.

Who needs stuff when we have our lives, our freedoms, our families and our health?

Mercifully, Thanksgiving focuses our minds on our blessings -- even if for just a minute before the following monthlong holiday shopping spree. This is a time to give thanks for those blessings, and at least for one day, to appreciate how lucky we are as Americans.

It's also a time to think of the less fortunate, and how we can do more to help those in need. It's a time to remember those who may be alone or far away, and how we can reach out to them.

Most of all, though, it's a time to celebrate, with real holiday joy, unencumbered by the cynicism of our age.

So eat heartily at this year's feast.

Cheer extra loud at the football games.

Clink glasses with mirth, and hug visiting relatives like you mean it.

Most of all, give thanks and be glad.

A little gratitude goes a long way, not just on Thanksgiving, but for the whole rest of the year. It helps us to find the everyday joy that no amount of stuff can provide.