Stop, Take A Deep Breath, Reflect, Be Grateful For Blessings

This is the best week of the year to stop, take a deep breath, and reflect on taking stock of all our many Blessings.

Tomorrow (Thursday) is Thanksgiving.

With the covid-19 virus raging, it IS NOT, the time to have friends and family over for a big meal.

So as we shelter alone, for the sake of our health and the health of others, take some quiet time, some down time and some time for reflection about this year — and the future.

I usually write this column just days before of Thanksgiving, but I did it a week ago, perhaps to hold at armslength just where we are today, the day before Thanksgiving.

There is more, I am not afraid to say, more uncharted waters ahead for all of us.

Yet there is a lot we should all be thankful for in 2020 and certainly as 2021 is hiding, just around the corner. This is a time to perhaps be ever so Thankful. I mean to be truly Thankful.

Be Thankful for good health. In this pandemic, all my harping on all of us overlooking how valuable and what a blessing good health really is, may have taken hold. As 2020 draws to a close, more than 260,000 American deaths can be directly attributed to this virus since last March.

We need to be Thankful for others among us, doctors, nurses and others who work on the front lines of this pandemic. They are fearlessly working hard and truly want all of our citizens to live and live healthier lives.

We need to be Thankful to be living in the United States of America. Where else on this planet would you have as many freedoms, including the right to complain, to criticize this great nation of ours, without threat of retribution or being jailed.

And we have the vote of the people that special time every four years to choose our national leader — the President of the United States.

As always, we all need to be Thankful to be living in Arkansas.

We should be Thankful for the natural beauty that surrounds us. I am truly Thankful there are those who are tireless to keep the natural beauty, ever present, in our state.

Be Thankful for a free press, especially one without the trappings of hidden agendas, unfairness and government control. In these days of a declining print press, I feel extremely thankful to come to you each week in this award-winning, community driven and well-read and regarded publication.

Despite the social distancing of this pandemic, which has altered the way we work, shop, meet, play and live in our communities, I am thankful.

I am Thankful for the legion of civic clubs, nonprofit organizations and tireless volunteers that exist to serve others in so many ways in our communities.

I am thankful that such public facilities, many have been shuttered but continue to serve the public, such as libraries, senior citizen centers, boys and girls clubs. We have all used more parks, walking trails and other recreational/public facilities in the region during this pandemic.

And we cannot forget in these uncertain times, the important job our public school system does in educating our children, both in-person classes and on-line virtual learning.

Despite many being closed to group worship, I am ever so Thankful for the plethora of churches, temples, synagogues and meeting houses of almost every religion, who continue to minister by reaching out, comforting and feeding many.

We need to be oh, so Thankful in this state, despite this virus, to have a Governor and a State Health Department that has been out front this pandemic since day one, protecting its citizens.

Our local elected delegation is among the very best members of those who continue to serve the common good of our state.

Be thankful everyone. Wear your mask. Stay socially distanced and when available soon, I hope, when offered, take the vaccine shot(s).

Hopefully, a better year, a transition year of 2021, is just around the corner.

I am Thankful for that — yes, I am.