Thanksgiving is meant to be a time of giving thanks, of looking back at the year and seeing the big picture, of realizing that even though some things didn’t go as planned, overall there was a lot to be grateful for.

But around the globe this year humans have had a tough time. We have experienced devastating tsunamis, cataclysmic earthquakes, and a row of catastrophic hurricanes. “Without doubt this planet is unleashing its fury on us. And surely that is nothing to be thankful for.”

Let’s look deeper.

Most of this year’s natural disasters occur from surface phenomena. The earthquakes are the result of the great tectonic plates creeping across the face of the earth. And most tsunamis result from undersea shifts in these giant plates, with great ruptures displacing massive amounts of water. This disturbed water radiates out spreading the energy over huge areas sometimes with calamitous results.

Atmospheric phenomena like hurricanes and tornadoes can partially be attributed to the spinning of the earth. The spinning causes great movement in sea and air that combine to form the great lethal cyclones.

How can these characteristics of earth be anything to be thankful for? Well, I might argue for one that those great massive moving plates are actually a godsend to this planet.

They move because the planet underneath them is somewhat liquid-like. The great solid plates – like the North American Plate or the Pacific Plate – float and move about on this semi-liquid.

And this drifting about at just inches a year, which is not too fast, not too slow, gives us mountains and valleys and all the geographical array of surface features we see and enjoy and that promotes life’s profound diversity.

The plates are just thin enough that this can happen. Thicker and they wouldn’t be able to move and crack and the planet would eventually erode into a smooth sphere. Thinner and there would be an incessant parade of nasty volcanic explosions and destructive earthquakes all over the planet.

No other known planetary body has just the exactly right conditions for this amazing plate movement.

And the spin speed, covered in an earlier column, is just right, too. We spin faster and winds become devastating. Slower and the day-night temperature differences become unbearable.

And it is not just those several characteristics that cooperate to give us this Home of ours. The tilt, the distance from the sun, the type of star we orbit, the number of suns we have, our magnetic field, our extraordinary atmosphere, the amount of water on the earth and above it, our overall size and gravity, our nearly circular orbit, and many, many, many other characteristics make this a planet nonpareil.

But all these, as perfectly designed and coordinated as they are, don’t guarantee we won’t be without tragedy. For example, having so much life-giving water on this planet is an absolute blessing. But people may drown in it. Should we curse the water because of that? Obviously not. The same goes, in my opinion, for all the rest of the properties of this planet that leave a door open for disaster.

One challenge I have given my astronomy classes is to conceive of a planet more perfect for human life. I have not heard anyone ever give me anything that could be considered an improvement on what we have been given in Planet Earth.

Moreover, I might opine here that even in natural disasters there may be something to be thankful for. It is then that the best amongst us, the most courageous, the most heroic, come forward. There are few times when more people become more interested in selflessly helping those around them than when tragedy strikes. I don’t know about you, but observing unconditional love in the face of mass destruction makes me extremely thankful.

And it isn’t like we haven’t been warned. We can be very thankful for advances in modern technology that help us to see hurricanes coming, and determine when a volcano is about to blow, or tell us where earthquake faults may lie, or when to head for the hills as a tsunami approaches.

And it is hard not to blame ourselves for disobeying one of the basic maxims concerning the natural world around us. “Do not build your house on sand” is a simple, yet profoundly wise saying. Sand in itself is a great thing, but it is no place to build a house. And those of us who heed that warning suffer less when whatever disaster finally hits.

Need evidence? Compare the death tolls in countries with strict building codes against those with few or none when a big earthquake strikes. There is no comparison.

Yes, this year we have been hit with some high-profile calamities, to be sure. And we will get more next year, and the next. But we do live in the best imaginable place in the known universe.

And that is great reason to give thanks this Thanksgiving.