As I heard the familiar tunes, salutes to the latest toys and cartoons (all of which I'm blessedly oblivious to now!) and, of course the obligatory salute to the Big Apple ("It's up to you, New York, New York"), I couldn't help but think about the part the parade played in my childhood.
Was it the parade that made me fall in love with Manhattan long before I had a chance to live there? Was it the parade that filled me full of Big City dreams?
It certainly played a part.
Today I'm thankful for family and friends, for health and warmth and work. I'm also thankful for dreams. They may never quite measure up to reality. But that's not what they're for.