A list for Thanksgiving

I have never been one to rush the seasons, but next Thursday, the 28, will be Thanksgiving Day. Now, I know I am jumping the gun a bit, but I wanted to be ahead of the pack in discussing this special day and a few of my extra reasons to be thankful.

It goes without saying that we are all thankful to be where we are now, considering where we were on September 27, 2024. We will always remember what was lost in the early morning hours of that day, and we will always be thankful for the people who stood up in the middle of that shock and loss and did their best to help us move ahead. Because of their extraordinary acts, we are, for the most part, able to celebrate this Thanksgiving and the normal things that make up the customary routine of our lives. It takes a lot of work to keep that ordinary world in place, and so one thing that I am thankful for this year is the fixers. “Fixing” things has always been a respected and traditional part of commerce in small-town America. Every community had those “Mom and Pop” shops that mostly took care of the odd jobs of repairing things. There aren’t nearly as many folks doing that now, but I am still thankful for the people who do. They fix things like chain saws, toasters, washing machines, used cars, computers, lawn mowers, air conditioners, leaking roofs, leaking tires, broken chairs and a whole long list of other stuff. And if you want to get the true picture of the local economy or politics, etc., just hang around one of these shops a little while. You will learn a lot. Unfortunately, the world seems to be moving toward a completely disposable society now, where nothing ever gets fixed, just thrown away. I guess in the future, maybe robots will become the new fixers. I’m sorry, but I don’t think R2D2 will ever be on my “thankful” list. But in the meantime, I am also thankful for the farmers who grow our food. The Department of Agriculture says it will take about 45 million turkeys this year to get us through Thanksgiving. That’s a lot of hard work for somebody. A long time ago, there was a turkey farm somewhere around Greensboro, Georgia on the road many of us took back and forth to Athens. During four years of school, I was entertained as I passed by that farm from early summer into the Fall. The turkeys of that huge flock would get larger and larger with each month until one day, around mid-October, poof, no more turkeys, everything disappeared. That was a little sad, but that 14-pound smoked turkey on the fourth Thursday in November sure tasted fine. Another group that I am more and more thankful for is all the folks who get up, go to work, and keep a smile on their face all day long. Whether they’re working at the drive-through window at the fast-food place, or at the bank, the doctor’s office, or wherever, they just give you the feeling that they’ve been waiting all day long for you to come by. Some people are just like that. It’s a shame there aren’t a whole lot more.

The busy days of year’s end will soon begin to crowd in around us, but before that happens, now is a good time to stop and consider your own list of things you are thankful for. Of course, our families, our church, our country, and the freedoms we cherish are far and above at the top, but don’t forget to add those “ordinary” folks to your list who bring their light, their skill and their story to this life for everyone to enjoy. They make the world a richer place for us all. I hope you have a long list, and I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

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