Thankful

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A few days ago, I spent most of the day around a bunch of children.  Since it was so close to Thanksgiving, I decided to ask them what they were thankful for.  For the most part I got the usual answers – this toy or that, sometimes mom or dad.  One boy said he was glad his brother wasn’t hogging the toys anymore.  Uhm, okay.  Then there was this one little girl.  She said she was thankful her dog didn’t get upset no matter how hard it was squeezed.  She then told me about the night of the storm and how the dog didn’t seem to mind even when the tree fell into the house.  “I even pulled some of his fur out.”  She informed me, looking quite upset by that fact.  Oh my, this needed some follow-up as I was unsure if it was a real dog or a stuff animal and if everyone in her family was fine.  So, I asked if everyone was okay now.  Turns out, the dog was real, she and he were now living with her grandmother while her parents tried to repair their home damaged in the hurricane.  However, it didn’t sound like this family had much left property and stuff wise.  Grandma explained some of the story to me when she realized what we were talking about.  We so often forget to be thankful for the smallest of things.  What are you thankful for?  The big discount on that TV you’ve been eyeing?  Or is it the love of your dog who’s there for you even on your worst days?  ‘Count your blessings, name them one by one’…

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