Editor’s Note: In the spirit of Thanksgiving, our readers wrote to us to share what they are grateful for. Today we are finishing the publication of their letters.
Insights into leadership
I look forward to every last Monday of every month when John T. Shaw of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute will showcase the statesmanship of the leaders who keep our democracy healthy. I will also applaud Shaw’s attention to leaders who squander opportunities and to the termites among them who are eating away at the principles and rules that sustain our country.
The Tribune’s opinion team’s increased focus on the integrity of our leaders is what I’m grateful for this Thanksgiving.
—Elona Vaisnys, Chicago
This nation inspires thank you
I am grateful for the freedoms this country offers: the freedom to have a voice. Freedom to express oneself about the wrongs committed. Freedom to vote for our government.
I am grateful to the founding fathers of this country for providing us with a document that we still follow today and that is not obsolete. The Constitution.
I am grateful for the opportunities this country offers us: schools, jobs, health care. It even supports citizens who are not working for whatever reason.
The United States of America is like a ship. If it leans too far one way or the other, it straightens up. I’m just sad that I won’t see how great this nation will be in 100 years.
— Roberto L. Garcia, Chicago
Happy with Trump’s election
I am truly grateful that the 2024 presidential campaign is over and that Donald J. Trump has been elected the 47th president.
I am very grateful that he is alive, healthy and ready to lead our nation with great vigor. Despite our weaknesses, the United States is undoubtedly the greatest country in the world. Strong leadership will not only make our country greater, but the world will also become a safer place. Let us all be grateful.
—JoAnn Lee Frank, Clearwater, Florida
Celebrate our fortune
In addition to being closer to family and having the opportunity to explore the wonders of Chicagoland and the beauty of the four seasons, we are grateful to live in a state where our rights are protected and cherished. Moving here from Florida is one of the best decisions of our lives!
—J. Patrick Mercier, Oak Lawn
Thanks for the blue states
I’m grateful that my three adult children live in blue states.
—Liz Lubiniecki, The Barn
What 2024 offers us
I am grateful that the calendar says 2024 and that I have Social Security, Medicare, a library with unexpurgated titles, facilities that allow women to choose, schools with arts programs, access to people who work hard and who have provided vital services to the community for years but are not citizens, drink water that prevents cavities, students are immunized and much more that may not exist in four years.
—Jerry Levy, Deerfield
Joys of an extended family
My husband, Greg Daly, is the eldest of seven children. He has five sisters, Maureen, Eileen, Pat, Kathleen and Peggy, and one brother, John, married to Yvonne. Greg and I have been married for 51 years. My husband’s sisters, his brother’s wife and I have always gotten along very well.
When my mother-in-law was widowed in 2007, my husband’s sister, Pat, and her husband, John, moved “Babe” (Catherine Daly) into their home. All the siblings and I took a day or weekend to be with Babe. We met once a month to plan what I called “Babewatch.” By the way, it was easy being with my mother-in-law. She was an incredibly optimistic, kind and much-loved woman. My father-in-law was also a wonderful man.
When Babe passed away in 2010, we decided we needed to get together more often. As the years went by, we were busy raising our children and didn’t have much free time for adults to get together. My husband’s parents, Babe and Greg Daly, had 24 grandchildren. So in 2010, we all agreed to meet up for the birthday of each of the wives and the two brothers.
Here we are in 2024, and we’re still having birthday parties! My sisters-in-law and I have always loved each other. But now we have become much closer. I would say we love each other. We really enjoy our time together. We share our stories, laugh, talk, rejoice in our blessings, and sympathize with each other’s sorrows, pains, and upheavals in our lives.
My only sister, Linda, died earlier this year. I am still grieving. But I am lucky to have the love and support of my children, my grandchildren, my friends, my neighbors and my sisters-in-law. These are among the many things I am grateful for this year.
— Diane Daly, Riverine Forest
A nod to life’s blessings
I don’t know if this is a universal condition among people as they age, but it seems that the older I get, the more grateful I become for life’s blessings. The feeling of social connection is a major element. For Thanksgiving, the plan as of this writing is to first meet with nursing home neighbors and friends on Facebook and, later, with homemade cranberry bread and stuffing in hand, to head to the house of even dearer friends. Where I will marvel again at our matching worldviews.
Given the limited expectations of older people like me – disabled, never married, no children, no immediate biological parents – the beauty of having strong physical and emotional connections comes home forcefully. Especially during the family celebrations of Thanksgiving and Christmas, where some unfortunate people are forcefully reminded that they have much less.
—Tom Gregg, Niles
There are many positive points
I am lucky to have lived long enough to be old. Every day is a gift. Many of my contemporaries, especially smokers, never made it this far. I feel lucky to enjoy a morning cup of coffee, enjoy the sun on my face, and eat another Thanksgiving meal with lovely people.
It feels good to be alive. I have aches and pains and can’t remember what I ate for breakfast when asked for dinner, but the positives outnumber the negatives.
—Scott T. Thompson, Bloomington, Indiana
Cherish this vacation
After the vacation was over, my mother would say she was glad the vacation was over. Of course, I understood why she said that, because much of the extra work involved in the holidays still falls on women who do the shopping, cooking, baking, decorating, gift wrapping, and cleaning.
But I think the attitude that you can’t wait until the holidays are over or that you’re happy when they are is not the one you should have. I think you should bask in the warmth and glow of candles and multi-colored lights and be grateful to have these very special days to be with your loved ones.
The holidays should be a time to reminisce about the joys of past holidays, reminisce and reflect on those good times spent with family and friends, and of course, have more good times and create new memories. What really matters more than the gifts is your presence at the holiday festivities. As the old song says: “Hearts will shine when loved ones are near,/It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” »
You shouldn’t rejoice once the vacation is over. You should be a little sad when the celebrations stop, because you are left with the unbearable, cold, dark and depressing months of January and February; and all you have to look forward to is probably another bear-less Super Bowl or watching the movie “Groundhog Day” over and over again.
—Thomas E. Caruso, Buffalo Grove
Submit a letter of no more than 400 words to the editor here or by email letters@chicagotribune.com.
