Thankful: Many have lost so much this year. Rest of us should remember.

It has not been an easy year for many Wayne County families.

It is not just about the jobs that have been lost or the money that does not go as far as it used to -- although there are plenty of people who are just thankful today -- Thanksgiving Day -- to have a roof over their heads.

There were losses of all kinds in 2010 -- a normal occurrence to be sure, but this year, remarkably poignant in their effect because of the tremendous holes many of these passings left in the hearts of Wayne County residents.

There were too many good people lost not only to accidents and the normal passage of time, but to diseases like cancer.

Today is a day we should pause to remember not only those who will sit with us at the table, but those who cannot be with us, and the families who will be without them this holiday season.

We are missing some other people at Wayne County's table today, too.

There are still many Seymour Johnson AFB personnel overseas serving in Afghanistan -- and more scheduled to leave in the new year.

We should think of them, too, as they eat their holiday dinner far, far away from those they love.

We should be thankful for their service and support their families who will have to be without them this holiday season.

Their contributions and sacrifices are why we will be able to sit around a table as a free -- and safer - country tonight.

And we should be thankful for the community we live in -- a place where a call for food provides an avalanche of generosity, and where causes from a little girl facing a health crisis to a need for a new gym for a local children's club are met with enthusiasm and immediate support.

We are blessed to be part of a community that is so quick to take care of its own.

There will continue to be challenges facing this community -- there always are.

But as we sit down to eat today -- and to gather with our families and friends -- we should remember just how lucky we are that most every challenge we face, we have managed to overcome. This is a strong community with great hope and potential.

And for those whose year has been filled with more downs than ups, take heart. You have picked a good place to be, a town where taking care of others is as important as being there for your family.

The new year will bring new hope -- and the chance to start again. The blessing this year is that you have made it through -- and perhaps gained a little more perspective on what is most important in your life and just how strong you really are.

So Happy Thanksgiving to one and all from our family here at The News-Argus.

We are thankful that you have made us a part of your lives for another year and look forward to many more years of hearing your stories and celebrating your achievements.

May your day be filled with love and untold blessings.

Published in Editorials on November 24, 2010 7:17 PM