COLUMN: Offering thanks for little things in life

Perhaps it’s because I associate it so closely with family. Childhood memories of trips to my grandparents remain fresh in my mind. The passage of time doesn’t allow me to do this anymore, but I am thankful for those memories which I keep close to me.

I’ve always thought we should be thankful all the time, not just once a year. It’s human nature, I guess, to not really think about being thankful unless it is drilled into your head by the calendar and because you have a day or two off from work.

For years, my Thanksgiving morning tradition has started with the reading of sports journalism icon Furman Bisher and his “Thankful” column. With his recent retirement, I’m not sure if he will have one this year although I wouldn’t mind it if he conjured up one more.

In tribute to Bisher, I offer thanks for:

•the days when my back is not hurting quite as bad.

•a song which is an old favorite and instantly transports you back in time when you hear it again.

•the fact I won’t have to worry about having a meal this Thanksgiving or any Thanksgiving or any day for that matter. Not everyone is as fortunate.

•the time when Americans respected the office of the President. This country is so deeply divided now, 50 percent of the population hates whoever is in the White House with a passion. It goes beyond disagreeing with the President. What we have now is old-fashioned hate disguised as policy disagreement. What became of the days when even if you disagreed you still had respect for the office and the man in it?

•the new subscribers we have to our paper each week and the positive comments they offer when they sign up.

•the fact not everyone believes something just because they read it on some website disguised as a “news service.”

•sports memories and how they never seem to fade.

•the tassels from my high school and college graduations. Has it really been that long since I was in school? Where does the time go?

•childhood friends and inventions such as Facebook which has allowed me to catch up with many, view photos of their families and read about where life’s journey has taken them. I don’t get to see them as often as I would like, but sites such as Facebook allow you to view updates in their lives from a far.

•small town radio stations and the flavor they capture.

•the sun breaking through the clouds after an extended rain.

•the cool air that moves in at the local high school football stadium as the sun disappears and kickoff approaches. High school football is a piece of Americana that I will never grow tired of.

•the politician, however rare, who actually does what he or she says they will do after being elected. Campaign promises and rhetoric are easy to banter about, but to then hold true to them is another thing altogether.

•the fact that one day, maybe, somehow, we will live in a society where people can truly worship as they please, live as they please, love the person they please and not be demonized for it.

Please let me extend my wishes to you for a happy and safe Thanksgiving. As Bisher always said, let’s gather back here again, same time and same place next year.

Chris Bridges is editor of the Barrow Journal. You can reach him at cbridges@barrowjournal.com.