Will giving thanks this Thursday include your sex life?
I’m not talking about letting everyone at the dinner table know that you’re indebted to the universe for your multi-orgasmic abilities, for finding that infamous G-spot, or for seeing more action than any other couple you know. (But if you are lucky enough to experience any of the above, you should truly be giving thanks, and not just on Thanksgiving.)
Seriously, I’m asking if, in private, with a partner or just to yourself, will you express appreciation for all that’s good when it comes to your sexuality? I know what a few sexologists would say, given the chance.
I won’t be in the country this Thanksgiving, which is a tad disheartening. I love the holiday for the simple fact that everyone can participate. It’s the perfect opportunity for everybody to reflect and give thanks. And, on both personal and professional levels, I have a lot to be thankful for, especially when I think about others’ sex lives. After all ...
— I’ve never had a panty-less, Paris Hilton-type shot make its way around the World Wide Web.
— My sex life has never been subject to the paparazzi.
— I wasn't married to David Duchovny.
— I don’t feel the need to go under the knife for nether region tweaking courtesy of “Dr. 90210.”
All jesting aside, I do feel especially appreciative for a number of things on this coming day of thanks. I feel incredibly blessed to be in the field I’m in, doing what I do. And that made me wonder: Do my colleagues in sex education, therapy, and counseling feel equally fortunate?
So I asked them what they’re thankful for. They had this to say:
— I am deeply grateful for the gift of a job I love, working with people as they become more aware of and comfortable with the gift of their own sexuality in this world of infinite beauty.
— I am thankful that making love just gets better with age.
— I am thankful for the ability to help people feel normal. I am thankful for the ability to help people embrace their sexual fantasies, desires, behaviors, orientation and identity.
— I am thankful that women need not be circumcised in the name of our culture, in order to make us acceptable to the men in our lives.
— I am thankful when I can help somebody let go of shame.
— I am thankful for the opportunity to help people find hope when things seem hopeless. I am thankful when I can help a couple solve their problems and remain a family.
— I'm thankful for lovers who strive to have healthier relationships and who want to give their partners the sun, moon, and stars when it comes to sexual pleasuring.
— I am thankful for parents who make the time and effort to educate their children about sex matters, no matter how hard it is for them.
— I am thankful when somebody sees me as a safe space for confiding about sexual concerns, questions, or troubles.
— I am thankful I live in a country where women are equals; that we are active in government, health care, business and education.
— I am very grateful for my good health, for my education and educational opportunities. (To learn and eventually teach others what my parents could not talk to me about regarding sexual health and psychological changes in a person.)
— I am thankful for the people who buy better sex books!
So will you express gratitude for what’s good about the sexual intimacy in your world before you cut the turkey?
On a much more serious note than my earlier mentions, I am thankful that the First Amendment protects my right to openly express my views on sex and sexuality. I am grateful for the space I have on FOXNews.com to help readers become more sexually informed. I am thankful that, thanks to my colleagues and other sex-positive advocates, our society still has the chance to realize a sexually healthy tomorrow.
Dr. Yvonne K. Fulbright is a sex educator, relationship expert, columnist and founder of Sexuality Source Inc. She is the author of several books including, "Touch Me There! A Hands-On Guide to Your Orgasmic Hot Spots."
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