I am thankful to see that the Platinum Theatre has new
management. The old management was fond of putting bad marks on
young peoples’ work records for no good reason.
I am thankful to see that the Platinum Theatre has new management. The old management was fond of putting bad marks on young peoples’ work records for no good reason. When one young man needed to miss work because his mother suffered an aneurysm, management counted it against him. An employee who might stay home with a bad cold was required to bring in a note from her doctor each time, whether she had any health insurance or not. Good workers were ending up with as many as 30 or more infractions of the rules written in their work records. If you sneezed the wrong way, you were written up. I am thankful that the new management seems more reasonable.
Despite the fact that this column is appearing after Thanksgiving, I think it is important that we take some time all year long to figure out just what we are thankful for. We all know the typical answers people give, but there are also more unusual things we can be thankful for as well. I was surprised recently when my friend Pat Johns mentioned that she is thankful for the time she spends caring for her mom. I would have thought that caring for an elderly parent would be more of a burden than anything else, yet Pat says that she is thankful for the time with her mom. In spite of the sadness of seeing a loved one’s health decline, Pat says she and her mother laugh together a lot. What a different perspective she gave me.
I am thankful that though this was our first Thanksgiving since my husband’s mother passed away, my sister-in-law’s parents were kind enough to invite all twelve of us to join their Thanksgiving in Stockton. They invited us to their feast with all the trimmings, and while saying grace, they prayed for us and for Marjorie – it seemed as if she was still a part of things there with us. Many of us feel the loss of our loved ones at this time of year most deeply. My dad died three fall seasons ago, and sometimes I think I miss him even more now than I did that first year. Yet I am more thankful than ever for all the time I still enjoy with my mom.
I am thankful for readers from whom I can learn: “Space must have been limited when you wrote your article about Sheila Foote. You missed so much about who she is. She is a fighter. Feisty and willing to stand up for what she believes in. I have seen her fight battles – and win – over first amendment rights, gay rights, senior rights, health and transportation issues, and her own personal rights. She is an amazing lady. You only touched the surface. Go back, spend some time really getting to know her, then do your human interest article on the person she really is. … Her friend, Nancy Trujillo.”
“The turkey’s a carcass, the leftover dressing has been stowed in the fridge, and Uncle Bob has licked the pecan pie plate clean. Still, there’s plenty to be thankful for, mostly in the day-to-day details that we too often overlook,” (Anthony Wilson, Abilene Reporter-News). We are the only nation on earth that sets aside an official day to give thanks. But let’s not just give thanks one day a year: let’s find something to be thankful for 362 days a year. It’s easy to be thankful for the good things. A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who find something to be thankful for in the setbacks and disappointments as well.
