American's Being Thankful Today!

Thursday, November 27, 2008
Despite tough times, Michiganians find reasons big and small to be thankful
Francis X. Donnelly / The Detroit News

It might be something small or once taken for granted or a curse that turned into a blessing.

They're the reasons Metro Detroit residents are thankful during one of the bleakest Thanksgivings in the last half-century.

Given the economic turmoil, even pie-eyed optimists would acknowledge the goblet isn't half full this holiday, it's barely wet.

But these folks dwell, not on what they lack, but what they have.

"If we said we didn't have any thorns it would be a lie, but we've had a lot of roses, too," said Don Brennan, 80, a retired General Motors Corp. trim engineer from Warren.

From Detroit to Misery Bay atop the Upper Peninsula, Michiganians appreciate anew family and friends, having a job and a house.

The sources of their gratitude are as big as defying a lethal disease and as small as someone asking how they're doing.

It gives them hope among the despair, an emotional bulwark among the financial tatters.

"I'm glad to be talking to you," said Tom Patterson, 45, a casino waiter from Detroit recovering from cancer. "I'm thankful for every day."

Despite the autumn's bitter harvest, some residents boast a veritable cornucopia of things for which they're grateful.

In a survey on The Detroit News Web site asking readers what they appreciated this Thanksgiving, "Smoking Catnip" of Trenton listed no fewer than 17 things.

Among them: a long-forgotten newspaper sports columnist, other survey respondents, Marilyn Monroe movies, hot showers, and "Dexter," a Showtime series about a soft-hearted serial killer.

"I am thankful for a girl I met in 1973 and who can still give me the chills with her big brown eyes," he wrote.

More common are residents like Beverly Henderson of Fowlerville.

She may not be awash with small triumphs, but she has enough to be satisfied.

For every convenience she lacks, something makes up for it.

It's too expensive to get cable TV in her secluded rural home, but she appreciates having a telephone.

When ice storms leave her without power, she visits friends or goes to bed early.

While her life may be spare, it's easier than the 1960s, when she raised four kids by working beside migrant workers pulling carrots in California.

"We don't have a lot, but we don't need it," she said. "Between you and I, it's the things God gave us: fresh air, beautiful trees, solid ground for a garden."

Henderson, 70, was once asked what she would do if she won $1 million in a lottery. She couldn't think of anything she wanted.

"I don't need it. I don't want it," she said. "I'm just happy with what I got."

Community activist Malik Shabazz of Detroit echoed the sentiment.

"I'm thankful for a portion of good health and a smidgen of sanity," he said. "Every time we wake up gives us another opportunity to do better than the time before."

And Rick Wiles is grateful for his job teaching at-risk students at Petoskey High School.

"They have a spirit about them that is unlike those who are more fortunate," he said.

Other Michigan residents are like Wiles. They would rather celebrate the daily joys of their lives without focusing on the hardships.

They're not Pollyannas, just regular folks who feel positive outlooks better suit the harsh times. Here are some of their stories:

A little help from her friends

Many Metro Detroit residents are having a tough year, but Loretta Reed of Clinton Township is having a tougher one.

In February, her husband of 20 years learned he had cancer. By April, he was dead.

Meanwhile, the rest of the family is dealing with their own ailments.

Reed, 53, suffers from rheumatoid arthritis that causes swelling in her hands and ankles. She can't work because she can't stand for extended periods.

Her daughter has taken a medical leave from her job as a customer service rep for Blue Cross as she recovers from complications arising from weight-loss surgery.

So what can Reed possibly be thankful for this Thanksgiving?

The support of family and friends, she said.

She was afraid of losing her home, but her mother and daughter have paid her monthly mortgage. Her mom also helps fill out the endless forms dealing with Medicaid.

And a sister calls every day to make sure she's doing OK.

"I could be out on the street. Everything happened that fast," Reed said.

A job and peace of mind

They're the types of things people take for granted: having a job, owning a home.

But Bob Lentz of Oak Park realized last year that the American Dream was unraveling in Michigan.

He was a maintenance supervisor at a Ford plant where merit raises disappeared and medical benefits were cut.

Waiting for the inevitable layoffs, he looked for other work and found a similar job at a Toyota plant in Princeton, Ind. The family moved in January.

Not everything is perfect.

He hasn't sold the Oak Park home. His wife misses her family eight hours away in Michigan. And there's the cultural shock of moving from a Detroit suburb to a rural outpost.

"We live out in the country where it's nice and quiet," he said. "There was nothing quiet and country about Oak Park."

But Lentz, 53, has peace of mind with a job that seems as secure as any in these turbulent times.

"I can't even say enough about it," he said. "It couldn't be better."

Retired but still in touch

For four decades, Dee Macko kept a close eye on St. Clair Shores.

As a school board trustee and City Council gadfly, she attended numerous meetings of both groups.

Now retired in Toivola in the Upper Peninsula, she doesn't allow the 560-mile distance to stop her from being informed about her old haunting grounds.

Macko, 73, follows the dealings of the city and other Metro Detroit municipalities through newspaper Web sites.

But that's not what she's most thankful for this Thanksgiving. What she appreciates more is when someone from the old days remembers her.

"When you're by yourself, it's nice when people call to ask how I am," she said.

Of course she has to disabuse them of the notion that the U.P. is all wilderness and that she's living like a frontierswoman in the 1800s. They even have burger joints, including the Toivola Restaurant, a Macko favorite.

And she's grateful that she may have a few more years to enjoy the culinary pleasure.

"Not everybody is fortunate enough to be 73," she said. "I just hope I have a few more Thanksgivings left."

You can reach Francis X. Donnelly at (313) 223-4186 or fdonnelly@detnews.com

What metro Detroiters are thankful for
The Detroit Free Press
November 27, 2008

Molly C. Ziske of St. Clair Shores

I'm thankful that my kids are healthy, that I am healthy and employed with a roof over my head. I'm thankful that I have enough time and money to give to others this holiday season. Finally, I'm thankful the country has called for a change in leadership.

Alexandra R. Jackson of Farmington Hills

I am thankful that I live in a country where opportunity is available for ALL. We are a blessed nation. If we can get back to the basics of loving our neighbors, giving to the poor, paying fair wages, working for the wages we are paid, being honest even when it hurts, forgiving those who fail us and believing in ourselves, I know that America will survive and thrive.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING.

Pete and Jennifer Nashif of Manchester

We are deeply thankful that our son, Andrew, survived a ruptured appendix this summer. Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to the entire staff of St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor for the wonderful care that he received.

John Holloway of Clinton Township

I'm truly thankful for my healthy wife and children. I'm thankful that I have a good home for my family. I'm thankful that I have a good job to go to every day. I'm thankful for my family and my church.

Most important, I'm thankful that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior and that he died on the cross for my sins. Praise be to God! I pray that families would share the Gospel and be thankful for God's grace this Thanksgiving.

Have a happy Thanksgiving.

Rick Prins of Davisburg

I'm thankful for:

• The love of my wife and kids. Their smiles and laughter can turn even the bleakest days bright again.

• The support of our parents, even while their health is failing.

• The understanding of our siblings during these difficult times.

• The generosity of our friends, and their willingness to keep in touch, even though we've moved across the state.

• The sacrifices that our service men and women make everyday for our freedom.

• The bravery that our police and fire fighting departments display to keep us safe.

• The love of God and the hope that He brings us all.

Judy Borchardt of Sylvan Lake

I'm thankful for people who, no matter what, have a sense of humor and can find humor in any situation. I'm also thankful for people who are accepting of others and who show it in their attitude and their action.

Carla J. Hogan of Detroit

I am so very thankful for God's grace and mercy, and the lives, good health and strength of my family and friends!

America, it's time to bless God and stop saying "God Bless America."

Carole Kilgore of Westland

I am thankful for my health and the fact that at 65 years old, I am still working at a job I love -- a caregiver for the past 25 years to the same developmentally disabled adults. One of them was hospitalized for an operation last year. He wound up in intensive care, then hospice.

God listened to the prayers of Danny's "extended" family, and he was released to a nursing home early in the year because he still was unable to walk, and we had a two-story home.

Another home took him in and helped him relearn to walk. We've moved to a one-floor home for him, and I am so thankful that he will be back soon to complete our extended family unit.

God has been good to me by allowing my son to come home safely after serving his country for 6 1/2 years in the Navy. He is now in his senior year at Eastern Michigan and involved with a very special group of people (APO) who are heavily involved in community service. These people will go on to be tomorrow's leaders and are already forging a path in that direction.

I'm also thankful for my two other sons, both of whom still have their jobs (a Detroit police officer and a Northwest/Delta employee) and are able to care for their families.

The care giving field doesn't pay much, but I am so thankful to be working, to have a healthy and happy family, and friends that I love. My mom is going to be 98 years old and lives alone in Phoenix. My five siblings and myself do the best we can to help her in any way we can.

Love and a happy home are the true "money" in life. I am rich beyond measure.

I have a lot to be thankful for this year.

Leola Jackson

I am thankful when I look into the eyes of my three beautiful granddaughters and realize that they have the promise of brighter days filled with hope, good health and happiness.

Meg of Livonia

I'm thankful for the health of my family and friends this holiday season, that we all have houses with heat, friends with laughs and hot coffee, smiles with genuine warmth and the means to care for each other when so many others do not.

Mr. O'Connell

I completed my degree and now I never have to worry about being laid off from anywhere.

Elizabeth Daniels

I am thankful for my family and friends. What a treasure they all are to me. I am thankful that our three children are growing up to be kind, thoughtful and thought-filled human beings who care about people.

I am relieved and thankful to know our new president is Barack Obama and that we will be moving on with new plans to restore our economy, end the war, care for our fellow citizens with health care plans that will look out for all people.

I am thankful that the chronic pain I once suffered is now intermittent, allowing for better days, less stress and more quality time with those things I am passionate about.

I am thankful for people who care for people in ways that can change lives. I am thankful for the power of prayer and to watch the changes in one's life when this is practiced. I am thankful that I know in my heart that God loves me and that I am a child of God.

Brian Chupa

My wife and I have been trying so hard to have a baby. On Aug. 4, we were given the best gift of all: a baby girl named Mackenzie. It's our first and definitely not the last. It is the greatest, being a father. She is 3 months old, and to come home after a bad day at work and have her smile, it makes your heart melt!

Tania Allen

I am thankful to be alive and living in the USA.

This Thanksgiving, my husband and I will be celebrating with our family once again. Despite the fact that my husband was laid off a few weeks ago, we are still most thankful this year for the greatest blessing ever given to us, our daughter Reagan.

It was a little over a decade ago that we began an extremely long journey on the path to becoming parents. After 8 years of several surgeries and numerous failed infertility treatments, we began the next step, the adoption journey. We endured more bumps in the road through the adoption process during that 2 years, but finally, on April 17th of 2008, our prayers were finally answered.

Our 8 1/2 month old daughter was placed in my arms for the first time in Hung Yen, Viet Nam.

Annmarie

I am thankful for my health, because many are sick and have no medical insurance to seek medical attention.

I am thankful that I am able to pay for the rise in cost for heating my home, for there are others who are not able to pay for heat, and others who are homeless and are living in conditions that are unfit for humans. I am thankful that I have a job and that I am able to give to the unfortunate people who have no money to buy food, or clothing and other necessities.

I am thankful to be alive to send this message, as there are others who lose their lives from physical abuse and guns that are placed in our society for evil people to take possession of.

And most of all, I am thank for the God that I serve that He will look over me each day of my time on Earth.

Bill

It's very simple.

I'm thankful for God, my wife, my three kids and my family's health. Life doesn't get any better than that.

Lauren Maiman of Beverly Hills

I am thankful for:

the air in my lungs

the snow on the ground (we might get a white Christmas!)

the ability to wiggle my toes

my warm home

my healthy parents

my imperfect, but perfect-to-me, fiance

a father who cares about me

a mother whom I can call my best friend

future in-laws who treat me like one of their own children

Ranch dressing

another Thanksgiving surrounded by the people I love!

Judy Robitaille of Livonia

I am thankful that Jesus Christ lived and for his gentle mercy.

I am thankful for my family.

I am thankful for my good health and the good health of my family members.

I am thankful that Obama will put an end to the war in Iraq.

I am thankful that I am a vegetarian and by being so, spare the life of a turkey this Thanksgiving.

I am thankful for all of the animal lovers who spend countless hours rescuing and fostering those innocents who have been discarded.

I am thankful that even one person chose not to have an abortion this year.

Alexis M. McDonald of Wixom

Everyday I am thankful for life today, but that all changed when I see someone else in a worst situation. I see hopelessness all around and on faces of people I know and those I do not know. I see those who do not wish to exist in the very moment and God forbid, they hope for the next day.

This is when I truly realized what I am really thankful for. I am thankful for tomorrow and all of the tomorrows to come. Although tomorrow is not a tangible item, nor is it a promise to anyone, I am certain that it will be another 24 hours to have hope. Tomorrow will always be an entire day closer to something new, and one day closer to the end of my situations today. Tomorrow means life and hope.

I am most thankful to have tomorrow to look forward to in spite of my today. I know what I am thankful for is not very specific, but it means the world to me to have tomorrow to look forward to because having hope for a better tomorrow is priceless and cannot be taken away.

I am still thankful for tomorrow even if I am not able to experience it because I know someone in the world will embrace life with hope and courage to get through their day. A better tomorrow for someone else is just as great as a better tomorrow for me.

I am thankful for today because yesterday it was the tomorrow I was hoping for. I am simply thankful for faith.

Angie Kundinger, kindergarten teacher at University Preparatory Academy, Mark Murray Campus

Many days throughout the year are not reflected upon and qualities of the individuals we encounter on our journeys are not recognized. I have enjoyed every step of the way to get to know the families that make our classroom such a success. Most of all I have enjoyed the unique individuals that come into our room each and every day with a wealth of knowledge and an ear full of funny, informing, and heart-touching stories to share with me and their new close friends. Or as Preston would say, “We are all family, we just don’t live in the same house!”

What I am thankful for … I am thankful for every day that I am able to spend with my friends in Room 115 where I learn from them and they learn from me.

I am thankful for Yamah’s pride that she takes in her work and in doing her best on following directions. I am thankful for Ja’Vion’s bright smile that lights up the room on a gray day and his contagious excitement for center time.

I am thankful for Roderick’s extremely detailed illustrations that tell a story of their own and Devin’s writing pieces that draw you in to make you feel like you are sitting at his family’s dinner table.

I am thankful for Janiya’s kind and heartwarming personality that makes us all want to be a better person. I am thankful for Bryson’s important stories that he comes to me with every day with such excitement and I am thankful for Gabrielle’s motherly demeanor to make sure that all of our shoes are tied and if anyone needs help she is by their side.

I am thankful for Korey’s helping hand and his smile when he finds out it is time for his reading group. I am thankful for Morgan and her grown-up answers that always start with “WELL …” and I am thankful for the way Preston always cheers me up by patting me on the back and saying, “It will be OK, Mrs. K.”

I am thankful for Rosemary’s singing and how all the students are drawn to her. I am thankful for Erick’s eagerness to let us know if the bathroom is getting a little dirty!

I am thankful for Matthias’ “Let me tell you something …” that we hear several times a day! I am thankful for Trevion’s help when he reminds our friends what good choices are and I am thankful for him turning off our timer when it is beeping really loud.

I am thankful for Maya’s passion to share her writing because she takes such pride in it and for Shayla’s beautiful drawings she brings me almost every morning and for sneaking us gifts from her Dad’s wallet. (Don’t do that again!)

Lastly, I am thankful for all of my students for telling me that they love me each and every day. My heart is filled and warm.

Please take this time to share with your child what you are thankful for. It is so easy to take each day for granted and not let someone we love know why we love them.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving bash always held meaning
By KAY SEDGMER, Times Leader Staff Writer

POSTED: November 27, 2008


JUST HOW did a day of thanksgiving begin in the United States?

Many believe the holiday got its origin in 1621 when an autumn harvest feast between the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians in 1621 was held as a symbol of cooperation and interaction between English colonist and Native Americans.

But history shows the bash was actually in keeping with a long tradition of celebrating the harvest and giving thanks for a successful bounty of crops. Even before the arrival of Europeans in North American several Native American tribes had held organized harvest festivals which included ceremonial dances and other celebrations of thanks.

Historical records also show that in 1619 at the Berkeley Plantation in Virginia, British colonist gathered at the Charles Rivers on a cold December day and knelt in prayer pledging their "thanksgiving" to God for their healthy and safe arrival after a long voyage across the Atlantic.

No matter where the celebration began, it held great meaning and importance. The legacy of thanks, and particularly the feast itself, have survived the centuries and today family, friends and food are synonymous with the celebrations held across the United States on the fourth Thursday in November.

Those early Thanksgiving meals most likely did not include pumpkin pies or mashed potatoes. Pilgrims and Native Americans probably did feast on plenty of venison and wild fowl.

Vegetable dishes, one of the main components of today's Thanksgiving menu, likely didn't play a large part in those early feast. Sweets probably weren't on the menu either.

However, the pilgrims did use many spices, including cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and dried fruits in the cooking. They also used salt in both cooking and as a spice on the table. Pepper was used only in the cooking process.

Throughout the years, a day of thanksgiving has been observed on various days including the third Thursday of November and also the last Thursday of the month, which at times has been the fifth such day.

The U.S. Congress in 1941 split the difference and passed a bill requiring that Thanksgiving be observed annually on the fourth Thursday of November, which was sometimes the last Thursday and sometimes (less frequently) the next to last. On Dec. 26 of that year President Roosevelt signed this bill, for the first time making the date of Thanksgiving a matter of federal law.

The differences in the first observances and those of today are many including the modern day inclusion of parades, football and the beginning of the holiday shopping season.

No matter what is on your table today, or if you watch the Macy's parade or tons of football, the important fact is to give thanks. That is why the day was created.

Sedgmer may be reached at ksedgmer@timesleaderonline.com

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYBODY!!!!!!

I'm thankful this day only comes once a year.

Why?!?!? You get to be with people you care about and eat. Then the next day wake up early and go shopping. What's wrong with that?

TG wrote:

Why?!?!? You get to be with people you care about

:haha:

Luckily I won't have to see these people again until Christmas

Aw. Your so mean. I got to talk to my cousin Ryan's girlfriend. She is sooo nice, and really really funny. And she is Asian and makes Asian jokes constantly, so it's really fun. And then they all played poker and stuff. It was fun

Oh and my grandpa bugged me about telling him about my boyfriend. But I don't have a boyfriend. So Michael (My brother) just told him alllll about Brandon and it basically was really funny to listen to.

I don't hate all of them. The people that were here....

Me
My Mom
My mom's sister
My mom's boyfriend
My Sister
My Sister's boyfriend
My neighbor (husband, wife, and son)
All of them are fine. No problems. I see them all the time though.

Also here....
My mom's HALF sister and her son along with the woman who gave birth to my mom. If I never saw any of them again it'd be none too soon. Luckily I only see them all 2-3 times a year.

Oh... :haha: Idk why that made me laugh. Cuz thats horrible. But alright.

The only thing that's horrible is the woman that gave birth to my mom, her 5th child, and that child's only child.

The rest of my family is fine but I see them all the time. The aforementioned 3 live a good 12-15 miles away so I only have to see them 2-3 times a year....which is about 10 times too many.

Ok, well I guess I can understand that because I'm not real fond of my dad's side of the family...

Happy Belated Thanksgiving y'all....please pass the Turkey?

I don't really like turkey very much... I eat ham on thanksgiving.

TG wrote:

I don't really like turkey very much... I eat ham on thanksgiving.

Surprised you don't eat deer on Thanksgiving


Ham is good though

:haha: No we eat that all the rest of the time because we have way too much. That is actually what is for dinner tonight. It's like pulled pork, except it's venisin (or however you spell that). And with lots of barbaque sauce. It's amazing.