Respectfully submitted by Lawrence E. Rafferty (rafflaw) Weekend Contributor
Although I am a few days early, I wanted to wish all RIL readers a Happy Thanksgiving. I would guess that most of us have many things to be thankful for at this time. I am thankful for my wife of 40 years and my four kids and their spouses and significant others, and of course, my 3 beautiful grandchildren. And I am thankful that we all have our health. I am also thankful that my 91-year-old mother is still with me and my 4 siblings.
While our family has had its ups and downs, we always seem to pull together to solve the problems and issues facing us. I am glad that many of us will be together at Thanksgiving to share one of the best family times of the year.
At this time of the year, many of us have many things to be thankful for. I thought it might be a good idea to offer the chance for our readers to tell us what they are thankful for.
Let’s hear what you and your family are thankful for during this holiday season. What can it hurt? Happy Thanksgiving!
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Alicefayharris. I am so sorry for the pain your daughter is going through. She is very lucky to have a mother so caring for her.
My first response would have been that I am still alive. However, on reconsideration, that sounds almost selfish. In retrospect I have good reasons to be grateful for life, dating back to the medics, nurses, and surgeons who repaired the left side of my head and face in a quonset hut evacuation hospital that had some furry critters scampering about on occasion, ones that we patients laughed at and gave names. Those medics, nurses and surgeons did a splendid job, and I have had no residual effects for over 44 years now. Then I’d add that I am grateful for those who shot at me and missed, at the same time feeling profound grief for those who were not as fortunate … I suspect they were better men than me…no, I know they were. Fast forward to today and I am grateful for the oncologists and their machines that have defeated cancer in me once before, and pending follow up in 4 weeks, no doubt have done so again. There is a potential for the device(s) used on me to be successful with breast cancer, and for that, when it comes to be, I am very grateful that women (and some men) will have a non-invasive option and far less pain and trauma, physical and emotional. In short I am grateful for the science and engineering that makes such things possible.
Next I am grateful for those closest to me, from my better half, my daughter, and close friends, who I may or may not see on Thanksgiving Day, due to time and distance as they are scattered about the country, but occupy my mind daily. They make life worth living. They make every morning a splendid thing as I wake up still with them around me. It may seem weird, but I include my horses and dogs that have been affectionate compainions throughout my life, who sadly do not live the long lives humans do. I miss every one of them, and I miss the joy they brought to those close to me who experienced their lives while they were with us. Especially my better half, who grew up poor, and had never so much as ridden a bicycle, let alone own one, but adopted a young colt I’d bought as her own charge, subsequently learned to ride with a “seat” most of use can only wish for…a born horsewoman and dog handler…which means one who cares for all aspects of our animal charges, even the messy ones. I cried with her when that colt passed away at 26 years of age, living in a paddock with our other horses and local children all around him. I am grateful for the bright spot that colt brought to so many lives and hopefully we returned him the favor.
In short, I am grateful for all of our lives, and hope that everyone’s is as joyful as mine. It is after all the collective of people that makes life worth living and defending.
Alice, as a nurse I took care of many people in severe pain, thank goodness for pain meds and doctors who aren’t afraid to prescribe them and nurses and caregivers/ family who aren’t afraid to give them. I hope your daughter remains relatively free of pain most times. Thank goodness for family who advocate for their loved ones. A virtual hug for you and she.
Alice,
Our prayers are with you and your daughter!
I’m thankful for pain relieving drugs being given today to my sweet daughter who is being treated for cancer. Her drugged sleep is so preferable to horrific pain. I’m thankful for pain relief for the sick and suffering.
I’m thankful for my family and friends, the freedom to homeschool, my health, strangers who practice random acts of kindness, and the very idea that we have a holiday dedicated to giving thanks. Gratitude is a wonderful thing to celebrate.
I’m also with you leejcaroll–thankful that Professor Turley has created this blog.
I’m thankful the Fates gave me another year of life, love, and the gift of family and friends. I also give thanks for the contributing writers who devote their week-ends to make this a compelling site.
Oh darn! Forgot about my sister and brothers, but they fit into the “friends” category too. My lifelong friends.
I’m thankful that I didn’t get 7 feet of snow dumped on me like those folks in Buffalo, NY.
Raff, beautiful post for troubling times. I’m most grateful for my four children, who have grown up to be succeful healthy, supportive, kind and wise adults. I’m also grateful for my three sons in law who because of ‘coordination’ with my daughters gave me four amazing and beautiful grandchildren. I’m grateful to friends who’ve been with me through thick and thin, providing laughs when tears were flowing. I’m grateful for helpful neighbors and strangers, people who seem to have a genetic propensity for kindness. I’m grateful for my profession which taugh me many life lessons in what really matters. And lastly I’m grateful for the hugs, kisses and “I love you Nani!” from my four grandchildren, my youngest grandson, six months old, only drools on me, but he’ll learn how to give a proper kiss to his Nani soon enough. I’m teaching him.
I am thankfully in agreement with all of the above, yet to add my own peculiar thanks to the evolution of man and the extraordinary achievements in physics, astro-physics, medicine and chemistry that help to make the lives of many folk better, easier, healthier, longer, and more mentally challenging.
I would like to be thankful for peace among men, and women over all the planet, and finally. I am thankful for a growing awareness of our planet’s peril as believers in science publish more to convert deniers of climate warning and the changes that confront us all.
May we humans find a way to save ourselves.
That simple wish would eclipse all thankful expressions.
I am thankful for my happy marriage, our health and that our relatives and children are all doing well in their successful lives. 20+ years of marriage (second one for both of us) and each day we are happy, comfortable with each other, in love and in friendship. Partners in life.
I am thankful for the beautiful place that we live in and that, through hard work, we are comfortable in our home and surrounded by gorgeous nature, scenery, wildlife and incredible starry starry nights (no ambient back lighting to drown out the sky). Nature is amazing!
Peace, quiet and surrounded by good neighbors.
Rafflaw, nice post. I’m thankful for something most would not understand, a spontaneous remission of my trigeminal neuralgia pain 18 years ago this month that lets me go out in the breeze or even wash my face and hair.
I’m thankful for the internet that is most of my social interaction and lets me “talk”, and hear, folks of differing temperments and beliefs. ((*_*))
I;m thankful for this blog and professor Turley having it here for us all.
I am thankful for my faith which sustains every single minute. My wonderful husband.
I am thankful that I live in this country and that no matter what man may do; our country is built on principles and values that will not be destroyed.
raff, I’m thankful for this post. And, when you almost have your head blown off, you are grateful for every day. Oh, I lose sight of that @ times, but then
I kick myself in my fat ass, thank God for his tender mercies, and remember La vita e bella.
I am thankful liberals and conservatives haven’t completely destroyed the country.
“I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it.”
— Ben Franklin
This may sound strange, but I try to be thankful for the little things. I am thankful my silly elderly cat meows like a little kitten when he want to drink out of the water faucet, and I get to put him up on this little shelf thingy I made for him to stand on. I am thankful the music room has a metal roof, and when it rains I get to listen to the rain falling down on it.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
I think ‘Thanksgiving” is an everyday thing….all day long. :o)
We had our reflection of thanks in Church today, and of creating thanks during the other days beyond Thanksgiving.
Be thankful for health, and be thankful for experiencing health challenges for appreciation and enlightenment of the former.