Some can’t see the good because of the mountains

Gordon Garnos

AT ISSUE: As most of us prepare for Thanksgiving Day 2009, there are those who won’t be enjoying, let alone being thankful next Thursday because of the mountains. No. It isn’t the Black Hills of South Dakota that is blocking their view of Thanksgiving Day, but the mountains of despair, anguish, catastrophe, grief, heartache, sickness and pain that haunts too many of us. Still, we need to pause and reflect what this special day means to us.

AS WE PREPARE to observe Thanksgiving Day 2009, much of the goodness of our communities, our state and nation is hidden behind mountains. But even if the road is steep up those mountains, we need to remind ourselves there is a lot out here in South Dakota that we should be thankful for.

While we don’t want to sound too much like the Pharisee in the temple, we do have so much more going for us out here on the plains that we fail to recognize as our quality of life.

We can be so thankful that we are not enveloped in the metropolises of this world and all their problems caused by everything from congested living, horrendous traffic and such to high unemployment, high crime rates and the high cost of living in the midst of all of that congestion.

WHEN THESE SO-CALLED mountains loom up in front of us, we can still say, “This too shall pass.” Still, with everything we have going for us today, far too many of us still have a major attitude problem about our lives and where we live.

Sure, there are problems in our personal little worlds. They are in our communities, in South Dakota and in our nation–and even throughout the world. We, as Americans, again need to realize there are a number of nations where the people have little or nothing to be thankful for. Consequently, there are many nations that don’t even know what a day of thanksgiving is.

We complain about our taxes and interest rates are too high and our incomes too low. Our farmers are worried they may not be able to get their crops out of the fields and if they do, the moisture content of the corn and beans is too high and the profit from a year’s toil is too low. Many are concerned about being laid off their jobs and, consequently, how can they observe Thanksgiving Day and be truly thankful. For what?

Nor can many of us forget that our loved ones will be spending Thanksgiving Day as well as Christmas in a foreign land defending our nation’s freedoms.

WITH CHRISTMAS just around the corner, with all of our problems how will we be able to share once again at the birth of the Christ Child? There is no, or very little money for gifts… The list could go on and on.

But just a gosh-darn minute! Let’s take another look around us. There are so many things to be thankful for.

All we have to do is look for them. Push those mountains of despair, anguish, catastrophe, grief, heartache, sickness and pain out of the way. In doing so, many are easy to find.

Others may take a bit of searching because they are hidden behind other mountains, such as selfishness, ignorance, self-pity, ungratefulness, lack of ambition, lack of initiative, not caring, not sharing, greed, self-indulgence and not willing to give of ourselves, our time, our energies and our talents.

WE CAN BE THANKFUL for the love of our family and friends, freedom, a country in which we can freely express our political opinions, a country where we can worship without the fear of oppression, a country where we don’t have to go hungry.

We must be thankful for each of our communities where we can safely walk the streets at night and where our children can walk safely home from school. We must be thankful for the opportunities for people to work, to play, to improve themselves economically, even during this thing we call a recession. South Dakotans are not selfish people. South Dakota is a state where neighbors help neighbors. Whether it is delivering meals on wheels, visiting the sick and shut-ins, or simply letting friends know you are there if they need you. This list could go on and on.

YES. WE MAY have some difficulties with our personal mountains around here in our state of South Dakota. But, in spite of it all, we must be thankful for a God who cares about each of us and that we have the capability of caring for others. Happy Thanksgiving Day!…

Gordon Garnos was long-time editor of the Watertown Public Opinion, retiring after 39 years with that newspaper. Garnos, a lifelong resident of South Dakota except for his military service in the U.S. Air Force, was born and raised in Presho.

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