Native Writes

Let us all give thanks.
Thanks.
What can each of us list?
I am grateful for a freezer loaded with green chili and tortilla flour in the pantry.
I am grateful for memorized recipes for both.
I am grateful for the college professor who lectured his class on both sides of the “Thanksgiving story.”
I am thankful for peace in our little world, the San Luis Valley.
I am grateful that planners are working to better our communities.
I am grateful for law enforcement officers who will work during the holiday to serve and protect.
I am grateful for the newly elected sheriffs and incumbents who will take care of people outside the communities, as well as police chiefs and their officers who will watch out for us in town.
I am grateful for firefighters who might rush away from the dinner table because someone burned a turkey
I am thankful for expanded mental health treatment in our area.
I am grateful that Antonito is preserving the old Warshauer Mansion and making it the heart of the community.
I am thankful for organizations and people who recognize the needs of children.
I am grateful for persons who stand ready to help victims of abuse.
I am grateful for the blend of old traditions and new ones that color our world.
Above all, I am grateful for each new day, rising from bed, sipping coffee, reading the newspapers that were delivered and having a job I enjoy.
Back when I was working in Summit County, the district attorney declared “love” for a little thing I do when genuinely displeased.
They are my “no thank you very much” notes I mailed to express my unhappiness.
I’m not mailing any this year.
The list is long, filled with my own pet peeves and those expressed by community activists.
One item stands out: No thank you very much to the people who over-analyze every expression of “love.”
It has taken a while, but I have discovered love and an attitude of gratitude goes a long way toward making things better.