Thanksgiving is a wonderful and poignant holiday: a time to actually count your blessings. And there are many. Here are a few things we at the PJ are thankful for.
First, we're happy to have all of our locally based soldiers home for the Christmas holiday, the first time since the Iraq war began. There is always a certain trepidation and sadness when our soldiers are away from their homes, their spouses and their kids. Let's be glad we're going to have a Christmas we don't have to enjoy from afar, such as Anbar Province or Basra.
Second, we recognize despite all of the things we as a community and county have to work on, we have some real advantages here. Wadena County is rich with amazing parks, which are treasures for our residents and tourism opportunities for those who reside within a tank of gas to our fair county. We are at the crossroads of many major thoroughfares, and many people passing through our midst notice the great things our area has to offer. We should all notice those same blessings.
Third, we live in an area rich in natural resources, such as wildlife. Whether you're hunting or photographing wildlife, or just passing through for a Sunday drive, the Wadena area has a rich diversity of wildlife to witness. This is God's country, to be sure.
Fourth, good health doesn't just mean you feel well today. Over the decades, Americans have quietly been outliving their predecessors by large and growing numbers of years. A growing life span may be the single best thing about living today. Someone at 60 isn't old today. Someone at 35 is no longer middle-aged. Modern medicine is nothing short of amazing, and it gets better every day. We'll all live longer, and what greater gift can we have than a decade or two longer to do what we are destined to do on this planet?
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Fifth, and finally, we have family. In the Wadena area, we have a population that values staying close to family. We give thanks as we are able to sit down today, Thanksgiving Day, with most of the people we love, because they are so close by. Let's celebrate our deep, rich family ties to this area today, because it's a blessing to be surrounded by those we love, and who love us.
