By State Representative Dale Wright
JEFFERSON CITY — For most, Thanksgiving will mean some time off from work and a chance to spend quality time with family and friends. For many, it will also mean an opportunity to enjoy delicious turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie or some of the other traditional holiday fixings.
But for all of us, regardless of what our Thanksgiving Day plans may be, it should be a time to reflect and appreciate the many blessings we are fortunate to have as citizens of this great nation.
Thanksgiving this year comes at a time when our nation continues to battle rising costs everywhere from the grocery store to the gas pump. Without question, times have been tougher for all of us because things cost more than they should. However, even during these difficult times, we can be thankful that unemployment here in Missouri has reached record lows. We can be thankful that our economy continues to flourish. Here in our state we’ve also been blessed to once again have an election that was both fair and secure. While other states have seen their share of struggles, Missouri continues to be a state that protects the integrity of each and every vote.
For each of us individually, I am sure many of the things for which we are grateful are much more personal in nature. I know I am extremely thankful to have the trust of the people to serve as their voice in the legislature. I’m thankful to have the love and support of my family as they allow me to leave home each year to do the work of the people in Jefferson City. And I’m thankful for some of the simplest but most important things in life like having a roof over my head, clothes on my back, and a meal on the table.
That’s why, even as we give thanks for our own blessings, it’s important to remember we must also help those who are less fortunate. It was President Theodore Roosevelt who once said, “Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds.” His words are a reminder that, while we are blessed with good fortune, there are many who are not. And, more importantly, it is imperative that we lend a helping hand to those in need when and where we can.
This holiday season should be a time when we remember to donate to our favorite charities, or give of our time at the local soup kitchen or food bank, or to take any action we can that will help someone in need. It’s a time for all of us who have much for which to be thankful to rally together to give to those who do not. We have the opportunity to make the world around us a better place, and Thanksgiving is a reminder that we should do so when we can.
This is a nation at its greatest when we care for and look out for one another, and there is no better time than now to reaffirm our commitment to being good neighbors and good citizens. We have so much to be thankful for, but we must continue to work together so that future generations have an even greater abundance of blessings to celebrate and appreciate.