“What I’m thankful for ain’t on no list; for it only in my heart exists. For time has helped me understand the things I can’t hold in my hand,” country music artist Garth Brooks sings in “What I’m Thankful For.”
Most U.S. adults agree with this sentiment, according to a LifeWay Research report published Nov. 17.
When respondents were presented with 12 possible responses to the question, “What are you thankful for?” 84% said family, 69% health, 63% friends and 63% memories.
Wealth received the fewest affirmations (21%) other than “none of these” and “not sure” responses (1% for each). The religiously unaffiliated (14%) and Christians who attend services less than once a month (18%) were the least likely groups to be thankful for wealth.
When asked, “At Thanksgiving, to whom do you typically give thanks?” family was the most common response, with 68% saying they do so.
Christians who attend services four times a month or more were least likely (60%) to give thanks for family during Thanksgiving, while the unaffiliated (72%) were among the most likely to do so.
God (67%) and friends (42%) were the next most common responses for all respondents.
“In a year that has been difficult for most, Americans still express a lot of thanks,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research, in a press release announcing the findings. “This year of loss and division does not mean people have an absence of good things for which to be grateful.”
The full report is available here.
Managing editor for news and opinion at Good Faith Media.
