How thankful are we supposed to feel this year?

For the past few years, we’ve marked Thanksgiving under dark clouds — the COVID pandemic, domestic political strife, challenging economic conditions.

With some families fractured along jagged party lines or struggling to pay for any kind of feast to begin with, it’s been a stretch to think of it as a celebration.

And to be honest, the skies aren’t exactly sunny and blue this year, either.

Not with much of the world trapped in brutal fighting that’s claimed thousands of lives in just the past month or so. Not with climate change eating away at our planet’s inhabitability. Not with our own government diluted with so many corrupt, cowardly or delusional people who seem intent on derailing democracy itself.

No thanks.

So how do we approach Thanksgiving this year? By rummaging through our lives, looking for things — any things we can find — to feel thankful for?

In a word, yes.

Because if you think about it, despite all the desolation around us, we should feel profound gratitude for a number of things:

Without being crass or careless with our words, it is okay to recognize that bloody conflicts like we’re seeing in the Middle East and Ukraine aren’t happening here. Unlike Kyiv or Gaza City, nobody’s shelling the U.S., taking hostages or bombing our hospitals. We can be thankful for that and simultaneously sad and enraged that such atrocities are happening elsewhere.

COVID’S not gone, but despite respiratory ailments rising locally, we’re at least not having to look at grim charts with daily death counts this year.

We live in a beautiful area that’s been attracting newcomers for years. Yes, we have our share of problems with crime, homelessness, and political and economic tangles, but a lot of people would adore living here if they could.

Business reports even tell us that the food that goes into traditional Thanksgiving meals is a little cheaper this year. You have to like that.

It’s not all dark.

Let’s face it: The world’s never been flawless, so perhaps our expectations of picture-perfect Thanksgiving celebrations over tables piled high with food could use some re-examining.

Rather than overindulgence in food and football, maybe this holiday should be more about humility and hope. Not taking the most precious things in our lives — family, friends, safety, shelter, food and freedom — for granted.

No, this might not be the cheeriest Thanksgiving we’ve ever had. But it seems like a good year to focus on true gratitude.

Despite our all-too-real travails, gnawing fears and bitter disappointments, we have much for which to be thankful.

Let’s think about that — truly consider it — before we start forking down food and arguing about politics while football blares in the background.