Thanksgiving

I'm sure, at this time of year, we are all very thankful for so many things, and we all ponder our blessings as we go through the busy preparation for the Big Day. Some of us are planning to cook a huge meal for an extended family, some of us will attend such a dinner. There are those amongst us who are already lecturing their kids about how to behave at Grandma's. And there are those who will go to Luby's by themselves, by choice or chance.

Husband has a story about a Thanksgiving when he was little. His father was in hospital, and Mom and boys were staying nearby. Thanksgiving came along, and Mom asked Sons where they would like to eat. They were driving around an unfamiliar town, and the boys spotted a typical greasy spoon, and declared an unshakable desire to eat there. They apparently caused quite a stir--the lovely red haired lady with her two sons, obviously fallen on hard times to be eating Thanksgiving dinner in a 24-hour diner.

When I worked in the local hospital cafeteria, we put on a really good spread for Thanksgiving, with real turkey, and all the fixings. We took very good care of our doctors, nurses, support staff, and visitors.

One thing we can all do is write to a soldier. Many schools have this as a project for students, but there's nothing stopping all of us from doing it. Ann Landers, contacted through a newspaper or her website, always has addresses for that, as do the American Legion, and Veterans of Foreign Wars. Being stuck in Iraq, Afghanistan, or other places about as far from "over the river and through the woods" as a person can get, has to be very sad and lonely for our servicemen and women.

Here's a link: http://www.soldiersangels.org/heroes/index.php. From here, you can find out what you can do for a serviceman or woman, and how to do it.

Support Our Troops--it's not just a bumper sticker any more!