Thursday, November 26, 1998

The blessings for which to be thankful

By Joe Alcorta

This year, even before the turkey is sliced, let us stop and give thanks to God and to people for the many things we enjoy.

Sure, we all have bills to pay. We have sickness, stress and death in our families. But regardless of circumstances, we Americans have so many things for which to be thankful.

-- If you are reading this, you are evidently alive. Thank God that you are alive. Regardless of your health condition, thank God for your health. There are always others who are worse off than you.

-- And if you are reading this, you probably have been eating. So let's take time to thank God for the food that we eat daily. It may be hard for you to realize that there are hundreds of people who die every day because they have nothing to eat.

-- All of us at one time or another have worked or are still working now. Let us thank God for our place of employment. Take time to thank your boss, manager or supervisor for providing a job for you. And you bosses, how about saying thank you to those hard-working and faithful employees.

-- And clothing? Check your closet! Most Americans have an abundance of clothes and shoes in their closets that they do not use. Let us thank God for our clothing.

-- And regardless of how big or how small your home is, it is a home. Again, there are thousands of people without homes.

-- And best of all, we all have families. At one time or another, we all have had parents and grandparents. And perhaps an aunt or an uncle who took you in and provided food, clothes and shelter during your childhood years. Take time to say thank you to mom and dad for all they have done for you. Take time to say thank you to grandpa and grandma for all the love they have shared with you. Do you have a spouse? Take time to say "thank you for what you mean to me."

-- Also, at one time or another, we have had teachers, men and women who influenced our lives. Why not take time this Thanksgiving and say a special thank you to that special elementary, middle school, high school or university teacher? Call them, e-mail them, send them a card or, better yet, visit them in person. A kind word from you would mean so much. I would challenge you to do that.

-- And what about that preacher? If you have a little religion, perhaps you attend a church where the minister or music person has blessed you in a special way. Take time to say thank you to them. And what about spouses of these church leaders? They, too, need an encouraging word. (By the way, thanks, Rev. McQueen and Beltway staff for all that you do.)

-- And everyone has friends. Well, at least one. There are always people who have come our way, people we know from school, work, church, the grocery store, the doctor's office and Little League. A kind word, a card or a phone call saying "thank you for being my friend" will certainly be appreciated.

-- I personally have much for which to be thankful. I thank the Lord for my good health, for great caring parents who were role models for me. My wife, Liandra, has done so much for me. She is a great lady. Our four children - Cecilia, Joe, Andriel, Andrew - have brought great joy to our lives. And of course, our five grandchildren - Roy, Jessica, Michael, Morgan, Caleb - have changed our lives forever.

OK, dear reader, I challenge you to take time this Thanksgiving and say thank you to someone special and see what happens. Try it, and you will like the results.

Joe Alcorta teaches at Hardin-Simmons University.