By Sue Staton

While pondering over the best way to relate my thankfulness at Thanksgiving to my readers, it hit me how lucky I have been to be an American during my lifetime. 

Let me relate some of the ways I feel thankful.

Many times in groups you are asked to name only one thing you are thankful for at Thanksgiving. It is nearly impossible to do so, but I am going to mention this year how thankful I am to live in America.

I definitely think America is the best place in the world to live. No, it is not perfect because there are those people who do not realize how blessed they are and make it imperfect. 

However, in my opinion, it is the good people who make it the very best of any nation.

Americans take their freedoms so much for granted. I feel so blessed to know that I can go to the church of my choice. There are those who would like to change the way America was founded and for those who think that, I think it is important for us to teach our children Bible verses that will carry them throughout their lifetime in case this privilege is ever taken from us. The Bible verses I learned as a kid have helped me throughout my lifetime when times felt unbearable to me.

Our freedoms are too many to note in this column, but one I noticed the most while traveling in another country was the fact that police officers with guns were standing over the shoppers as they shopped in a Walmart. You had to pay to park to even shop in that Walmart. In America, there is free parking and no charge to use the restrooms in airports or public buildings. That is not true in most foreign countries. You pay a price even to go to the restrooms.

One thing also we noted while overseas at lunchtime there was no carefree joking or bantering among each other. No smiles and happy greetings to those they knew.

Another thing we take for granted is getting a cold glass of ice water when we go to a restaurant free of charge. In a foreign country, nothing is offered to you for free.

In America, we are so willing to help strangers out and give addresses or directions to assist them.  We take the time for others. In some foreign countries they do not help Americans out but instead make remarks such as “crazy Americans.”

However, it always amazes me the first country the foreigners expect help from are the Americans, and yes, I am proud we are a loving country and we help them. I just wish they would give us the respect we deserve.

I am proud we have elections for the people to make the choice for their president instead of our being ruled by someone not of our choosing.

I am so proud of the members of the American military who fight for our freedoms by choice and not because they are made to do so. We can never be thankful enough for those who are serving now and for those who have served.

I am happy to have the “Star Spangled Banner,” to remind us of those soldiers, and I pray we never take that song or the American flag for granted.

I am thankful for the first pilgrims who realized how important it was to not forget to thank God for their safe arrival in the new world and for their food before them. Look how special this day is because of that first Thanksgiving!

I am thankful that this day is set aside in America for us to take this one day out of the year to focus on being thankful. My hope is that we, as Americans, will always remember how totally blessed we are.

As you prepare to celebrate this special holiday, I hope your day is special. Even if it is not the way you wish it would go, please focus on all you have to be thankful for. 

For those whose day goes great, don’t forget to be thankful for it.

Thanksgiving brings many memories of my life with my mom, dad and siblings. Oh, how I would love to sit around a table with all of them at Thanksgiving once more. Those memories are stored forever in my mind. Do not take your family for granted.

I wish all of you a very happy Thanksgiving.