Readers share their thanks, count their blessings and ponder Thanksgiving

Gratitude for life

Gratitude can transform common days into Thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.

We often, unfortunately, take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.

One single grateful thought toward heaven is the most perfect prayer.

Albert Einstein said: “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

My long deceased mother told me as a child, “Gratitude is the memory of the heart.” Gratitude is a spiritual virtue that always produces good by those who give it and those who receive.

I am also most grateful for the profound disappointments and personal losses. Each has brought me closer to God.

Each year, I am grateful for the four most important things in my life: faith, family, friends and freedom.

Michael R. Shirley

Leawood

Thanks for goodness

My husband and I, along with 10 other people, recently had dinner at GoJo’s restaurant in Westport. Upon returning home about 40 minutes away, I discovered I had lost a ring that has great sentimental value to me.

My granddaughter called the restaurant immediately but was told that no ring had been turned in. After a sleepless night, my husband and I drove back to the restaurant to look for the ring in the parking lot and street.

After having no luck, we were getting ready to return home when a gentleman in a pickup truck stopped and asked me whether I was looking for something.

When I told him about the ring, he said: “I work here and I remember someone talking about a lost ring last night. If you’ll wait a few minutes, I’ll check it out.”

Within a short time, he came out of the restaurant with my ring in his hand. With a few short tears and a big hug, I want to sincerely thank this kind gentleman for taking the trouble to look out for me, and of course, many thanks to the decent, honest employee who turned the ring in.

There are still a lot of good people in the world.

V. Joyce Kidd

Kansas City

Golden family time

The new model by companies in our world tells us that greed is good and greed works.

Greed is right. Greed clarifies. Greed cuts through and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed comes in many forms — for life, for money and for love.

Knowledge has sparked the upward surge of humankind. Yet greed, you mark my words, will not save us but will promote the continued malfunctioning of corporations and the U.S.

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “We can no longer be silent on the things that matter.”

Families matter. Take action.

Families in America need time with their loved ones. Amen to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Florentino Camacho Jr.

Kansas City

Thankful for life

Today I am thankful to be alive and well. In August, two days before leaving for a planned tour of Russia, I awoke in cardiac failure.

I am thankful for the great doctors, nurses and staff of Research Medical Center for taking care of me. I am thankful for my family and friends who were there for me.

I am thankful I got sick here in Kansas City and not in Russia. I am thankful we had trip-cancelation insurance so we were reimbursed. I am thankful for life.

Susan Scholl

Kansas City

KC police service

In the past week, my daughter and I have had three encounters with Kansas City policemen — all of them terrific.

I called the police when my neighbor was harassing me late one evening. Two young men showed up immediately.

Next was a very pleasant traffic stop with a police officer. The same day a police officer helped jump-start my daughter’s car in the morning rush hour.

How wonderful it is to have such a great group.

Darlene R. Wiltanger

Kansas City

Gifts of family, friends

I am thankful for family, for friends and for God to lead my life. I am thankful for our church.

I am also thankful for a president who cares about Americans.

Sharon Edwards

Olathe

Other white meat

No flowery speech that’s boring

Or dense political oratory.

Simply consider this,

If you please.

For Thanksgiving

Choose pork roast for dinner

Rather than roasted turkey.

In gratitude, Tom Turkee.

Happy Thanksgiving.

DeeAnn Foley Doxsee

Kansas City

Joy of immigration

With talk of immigration in our country in the forefront, I think of my grandparents’ struggle to come to America.

My grandfathers on both sides left their young families in Sicily and sacrificed so much in their fight to find work and to save money to pay for their wives and babies to come to America.

I try to imagine the fear and anxiety of these young women with babies on a crowded ship. What was waiting for them?

How brave and strong were members of that “Greatest Generation.” They were not afraid of struggle or hard work, starting at the bottom in their new home, America.

Thank you, America, for opening your arms to this generation. When I spend time with my mother’s and father’s friends 90 years young, I don’t see the anger and greed and it’s-all-about-me attitude that I see today in the news.

The Statue of Liberty gave them hope and pride in what they were doing for the family, the future and me.

Grazie mille a mi familia, grazie mille America.

Fran Burkhart

Cleveland, Mo.

Kansas challenges

What am I thankful for this Thanksgiving?

1. I am thankful that my kids long ago graduated from school and college in Kansas.

2. Thankful that my grandchildren live with their parents out of state, where public education is strong.

3. Thankful that I will not have to travel on Kansas highways to visit them.

4. Thankful that my neighbors are just as mad and concerned as I am about what is happening to Kansas.

5. Thankful that my retirement is in the bank, and not a Kansas bank.

6. Thankful that I live close to the Missouri state line.

7. Thankful that I can bail out across that state line when Medicare in Kansas runs out.

8. Thankful that I have a daily newspaper to air my thoughts and keep me informed.

Steve Johnston

Leawood

Gifts to charities

Thank you to every person who donates time and financial resources to nonprofit agencies in Kansas City. Without your donations, the agencies would struggle to help families and individuals who are in need.

Your giving makes a difference in the lives of many.

Carol Trice

Kansas City

Thankful new life

I am writing this letter of thanks for many reasons, but first is a dedication to Alan, Fred and, very recently, Miss Becky. Life has not been the same this year without you three classmates.

God blessed us with you, as members of the J.C. Harmon High School Class of 1975, in our lives, albeit for just a short time.

I am very thankful to be on this Earth, alive and well, when I consider how easily I could have been with you three angels.

I have made the most of my after-heart-attack time, forgiving and resolving conflicts with loved ones and giving special thanks to a wonderful couple out west after enjoying the greatest vacation I have ever known and needed.

My life has taken new direction because of this wonderful experience, and like Clint Black sang in “A Better Man,” “Things I couldn’t do before, now I think I can.” I look at this world with reawakened eyes.

Last, a nod to a legend of my youth, Jack Bruce. I’m so glad.

Michael J. Knight

Kansas City, Kan.

God bless caregivers

Did you know that November is National Family Caregivers Month? I don’t believe Hallmark has a card for that.

No one who has never been a caregiver can understand what caregiving entails.

Every day is a challenge.

Caregivers don’t seem to fit into society. There are no vacations. There are no parties.

There is just complete care for a loved one.

Could you take time to take a casserole or spend a few hours with someone so the caregiver can have a couple hours of relief?

Caregivers give their whole lives to their loved ones. God bless them.

Rita Einspahr

Overland Park

Hidden holiday

Today we will be celebrating a major American holiday.

Unfortunately, from what I hear in the media and around town, it seems that many people have forgotten that the holiday is called Thanksgiving, not “Turkey Day.”

Are we so uncomfortable with the idea of giving thanks or so afraid of offending atheists that we cannot call the holiday by its proper name?

Non-Christians have no trouble referring to Dec. 25 as Christmas.

What is so different about Thanksgiving?

Stu Lewis

Prairie Village

Spoiler alert

Ah, come on. Let’s just forget Thanksgiving and shop all day.

The stores could have just stayed open Wednesday night and not closed today, and then we wouldn’t have to worry about fixing a family meal or feeding a family with no resources and needing help.

We wouldn’t have to hold hands and sing “Kumbaya” and, maybe, God forbid, pray together and give thanks. Thanks for what?

Then around the corner, we’re faced with that awkward “C” season of trees, cookies, presents and those pesky carols about some king being born in

Bethlehem a long, long time ago.

Where is Bethlehem, anyway? It’s all so nebulous and unnecessary.

Make the Thanksgiving holiday simple, generic and meaningless.

Just light your Country Club Plaza fireworks and cheer about something.

Happy holidays.

Mary Pat Miller

Overland Park

God bless America

There are many things to be thankful for in America.

I am thankful for freedom to say and think what I want.

We live in a country that has the best medications and cancer treatments. My husband has been given a chance to live and fight cancer.

I am thankful for my wonderful husband, who has made it into his third year of remission.

I am thankful that each day I wake up on this side of the Earth.

I am thankful for the people — people I didn’t even know — who gave me support and prayers for my husband and me while dealing with his chemo and his seizure.

I am thankful for our military, our brave men and women who fight to keep us safe.

And, I am thankful that I am an American and live in the greatest country in the world. I am thankful for our ancestors who fought to keep us free from tyranny and who fought bravely for us.

God bless America and Americans.

Joyce Brown

Spring Hill

This story was originally published November 26, 2014 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Readers share their thanks, count their blessings and ponder Thanksgiving."