Hard times have a way of making all of us realize what's really important in our lives. Amid job losses, plunging retirement funds and uncertainty about the future, we asked Herald readers to reflect on this Thanksgiving Day.
We asked readers to share what you are most thankful for -- and to tell us how your life experiences have shaped that perspective. Here are three of the responses we received. For more responses, visit our Web site at heraldonline.com.
"Somewhere in a box of my mementos is a construction paper feather prepared for the tail of a bulletin board turkey. The feather, part of a Thanksgiving elementary school assignment, came from a time when our country's events were so real, I could literally reach out and almost touch them.
"From 1961 to 1964, my family lived at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., where my dad was an officer representing the Army in the newly formed Strike Command.
"As the United States teetered on the brink of nuclear war in the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, MacDill seemed to sink into Tampa Bay with the weight of airplanes lined wingtip to wingtip, and the base theaters ran 24/7 to accommodate the personnel.
"Keenly aware of Cuba's being a mere 90 miles away, families filled their bathtubs with water, and our parents knew our exact walking routes to and from school should war begin. Thankfully, a potentially horrible situation was averted.
"Then on Nov. 18, 1963, my class and I went on an extraordinary field trip. We second-graders stood in awe as President John F. Kennedy stepped from his plane onto the flight line at MacDill on that sunny autumn day.
"The moms never seemed to forget the sun highlighting the president's tan and his coppery hair, while the dads would forever remember lunching with him and his firm handshake. We could hardly understand how that happiness could turn to tragedy just four days later in Dallas.
"Now, at this Thanksgiving 45 years later, I reflect on how quickly events changed back then. Even with the uncertainty of the times, I remember such a sense of security and peace every evening when at dusk the siren would sound base-wide. Cars would stop and their occupants jump out, we kids would stop playing, and all would stand at attention as we listened to the bugle over the base PA system while our nation's colors were lowered often in front of a stunning sunset.
"Though uncertain times will always be with us, some things never change, like what I wrote on my paper feather. I remain, just as I was at 7 years old, thankful for "God and my country."
-- Carolyn Helena Wade, Rock Hill
"I've been laid off since May. Thank God! Sound crazy? After taking a voluntary layoff, having sensed that a layoff was imminent, I received some severance and started the job hunt.
"Thinking I would get a head start on those who hung around and wouldn't be offered the severance, I've applied both in person and online to so many places I've lost count. It obviously hasn't been as easy to find gainful employment as I thought.
"Knowing that my health insurance was going to expire, I asked my doctor to test me for anything he could think of that might be affecting me without me having any ill symptoms at my tender age of 49-plus. I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. If I had still been employed, or had found a job, I would have never requested the testing. The cancerous prostate has been removed, and the cancer was determined to be contained to only the prostate.
"I'm probably the luckiest unemployed guy in York County right now and am recovering very well. I'm back on the job hunt now and ready for what tomorrow may bring. Hopefully, that will include a job offer. Call me butter. I'm on a roll."
-- Barry McGlone, Catawba
"As unemployment rises and stock markets plunge, uncertainty about the future is certainly a concern. Amid the economic gloom, I am thankful for freedom, family, and faith.
"Working with veterans at the Rock Hill VA Clinic, I realize that freedom is never free. I recognize the freedom we experience in this country has been won through the efforts of our military.
"With a son returning from Afghanistan in May, after a 16-month deployment with the National Guard, and a husband who just left for Afghanistan yesterday to do contract work, I am aware of the sacrifices loved ones make. I am thankful for the freedom of expression, worship and vocational opportunities that we have in this country.
"I am thankful for my family. Having just returned from a senior beach trip with my 86-year-old mother, I appreciate her life and how she has influenced me in a caring, positive way. I am thankful for her health, as well as my own.
"Even though my husband in Afghanistan won't be with me this Thanksgiving, I value his love and support in our 30-year marriage. I am also blessed with two adult sons, who continue to be a source of joy and support.
"Besides freedom and family, I value my faith in God, in others, and in our future. When we have gratitude, we can turn negatives into positives. Enjoying the simple pleasures of life is a gift. To quote Ralph Waldo Emerson:
"For each new morning with its light
For rest and shelter for the night
"For health and food and for love and friends
For everything Thy goodness sends."
-- Betty Ann Surratt, Fort Mill
For a look at what others are most thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day, check our Web site, heraldonline.com
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