“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”

-  President John F. Kennedy

November 1963

Tomorrow, as we celebrate Thanksgiving, it is a time for family and friends, but it is also a time to think about all that we can appreciate and show gratitude for - for many it will be a day of festivities, friendship and food. Yet, all you have to do is turn on the evening news to see a nation in turmoil - our troops remain in harm's way, the stock market has been on a roller coaster ride, unemployment numbers are rising and many families are afraid that Santa won't find their homes this Christmas season.

But even with all that, as we try to put the politics and financial turmoil of the last year behind us and look to enter the New Year on a higher note -- this is a time for us to reflect and to act on what still needs to be done to make this a greater community and nation. It seems fitting to reflect on what President Kennedy suggested 45 years ago, just before his death in Dallas, as we head into a new era with a president-elect of great promise. We must look beyond just expressing our thanks but also living by what makes us a grateful nation. As suggested so often by my friend who found this quote - it's how we live that shows our gratitude.

As is tradition with this column for almost every Thanksgiving-eve for the last 22 years, we need to look beyond game day, relaxing and toy ads and think about our community and how each of us, gathered tomorrow, can lend a helping hand.

Do you have some canned goods you could donate to a local food pantry? There is no doubt that Calvary Food Pantry or St. Alphonsus Pantry would gladly take them off your hands! Christmas baskets will soon be going out to families needing the opportunity to enjoy a healthy meal with family this holiday.

Do you have some extra time? Chapel House, our local homeless shelter, is looking for volunteers. An eight-hour shift will help them provide a warm place for those without shelter.

Do you have a little extra money to share? The Warm the Children Program through this newspaper is seeking donations to help clothe with boots, caps, coats and mittens, dozens of youngsters in what looks to be a very cold and wet winter.

Helping out, especially by our youngest, can also be as simple as walking out our front doors - maybe our neighbor could use a little help shoveling their walkway?

Show your gratitude by doing. There are a lot of ways to help make our community a better place. You'll be surprised how grateful you'll feel once you do.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be contacted at cozguytho@aol.com