The Thanksgiving season is a wonderful time of the year, and we should never tire of giving thanks on this glorious holiday for the many good things that come our way.
I’m thankful for the wonderful season that culminates with Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s, all packed into a five-week period during which the partying never ends.
I’m thankful for the charitable organizations that try to bring holiday joy to those in need: a meal here, a toy there, and prayers and messages of peace and Thanksgiving for all.
I’m thankful for the goodwill and good tidings that friends heap on neighbors for the holidays.
I’m thankful for the many professors in our state’s communities and the scientists and researchers whose daily toil may improve our lives in many ways.
I’m thankful for Steve and Tracey Stice, co-founders of Aruna Bio on the University of Georgia campus. Their research on stroke rehabilitation and treatment has received rave reviews, both within the UGA academic community and nationally and internationally.
I’m thankful for the bright students enrolled in the School of Social Work. Although they will likely never own condos at an exclusive beach resort or drive a Mercedes-Benz coupe, their charitable work will give them the ultimate emotional fulfillment from their charitable work.
I’m thankful for country roads on the backside of rural counties, where there are clapboard churches with modest steeples and humble congregations singing songs such as “Whispering Hope” and “Shall We Gather at the River.”
I’m thankful for our state's farmers and their labors to make our day at mealtime. Many of them are reeling from being blindsided by recent hurricanes. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
I’m thankful for “Georgia Grown” products in our state, which rank among the best in the world. I salute Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper for his work promoting what our enterprising farmers produce.
I’m thankful for the Okefenokee Swamp and its pristine environment. I urge you to speak out against mining interests that countless scientists say will harm the swamp and our environment.
I’m thankful for weekend gatherings with friends when Stripling’s sausage is on the menu for breakfast, accompanied by cheese and eggs and Mayhaw jelly from Colquitt. This is followed by a vegetable lunch and a Bubba Burger on the grill for dinner—all Georgia products that rank with the best.
I’m thankful for children's voices at recess during their school day as they play with energy and compatibility. Those sounds pause your routine as their laughter lifts upward, reminding us that we should never neglect them.
I’m thankful for our state's Golden Isles, the barrier islands, and the opportunity to fish their waters, which yield trout and bass and provide the most delicious and fulfilling meals. (I am happy to salute the memory of John Donaldson, a former Georgia player and coach, who took me fishing for many years in those creeks, never leaving me with an empty cooler.)
I’m thankful for high school coaches who coach and teach for the right reason, to help kids grow and develop; coaches who will never sign a million-dollar contract, who will never be given a new car, but will find great reward in helping a kid realize his/her potential and contribute to society.
I’m thankful for the Pine Mountain Range on the west side of Georgia, one of the state's prettiest places. Its beauty enraptured President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and it is one of the few areas where you might find a chestnut tree.
I’m thankful for Loblolly Pines, Little St. Simons Island, the University of Georgia Redcoat Band, the UGA chapel bell ringing after victory on Saturday, strawberry ice cream pie at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education, and grandchildren.
I’m thankful to be an American.