Thanks in Perspective (11-28-11)

This Thanksgiving, I thought I was going to be thankful for the usual things: family, friends, school and town.  I was so convinced that I had nothing new on the subject of thanks that I didn’t even bother to write my usual Thanksgiving principal’s perspective.
 
Then something happened which put the entire idea of thanks in perspective for me.  Hill City lost a very dear member of our community, Donna Andreg.
 
I heard the news of her passing while enjoying Thanksgiving in Kansas City.  I was stunned and saddened and somewhat confused.  I just could not wrap my head around the idea that this bright, caring person would no longer be around, no longer working at the bank, no longer worshiping in her church, no longer a warm smile at town functions.  I could only imagine the devastation felt by her wonderful family, and my thoughts flew to them.
 
When I sat down to eat my Thanksgiving meal, I thought about the holiday in a different way. Maybe Thanksgiving is not about the meal, or even about the time spent with the ones we love.  Rather, maybe the real value of the holiday is in the reflection of our blessings. Suddenly, I found myself inspired to think of all sorts of things for which to be thankful.
 
I am thankful for each day I am allowed to spend on this earth.
 
I am thankful for each day my family and friends are allowed to spend on this earth.
 
I am thankful for the memories of so many incredible people I have known in my life.  Some are no longer with us. My mother and father, my grandparents, members of my extended family, and many of the people I used to see in church or around town.  I miss them all, and now I will miss Donna.
 
I am thankful for the time I got to spend with Donna.  A few years ago, I was asked to judge at the state forensics tournament, and I drove to and from Wichita with Donna and Sandra Vey. Those ladies kept me highly entertained with stories about Hill City and the surrounding areas.  They talked about their families, about people here and gone, about other trips they had taken.  I learned more about the town and its people during that trip than I had ever learned before or have learned since. I got to share just a moment in Donna’s life and I am so thankful for the experience.
 
Donna also worked in my bank and I am thankful for the times I sat at her desk and for the friendly service she provided.  I am also thankful for all the times she replied to my emails. She was always there to help, and I knew that if I needed anything, that all I had to do was let Donna know.
 
Finally, Donna’s daughter, Sara, was a regular in my summer melodramas, and I am thankful for the times I would see Donna in the audience.  She always had words of encouragement and a smile on her face. You could just see how proud she was of her daughter, and I often thanked her for raising such a talented and hardworking daughter.  I am thankful to be able to call Sara my friend, and my thoughts and prayers go out to her and to her entire family.
 
At times like these, it is all too easy to feel regret and a sense of loss for all the days and years denied us by death.  Donna died too young, and while we rejoice in the memory of an incredible life of faith and service, we who remain cannot help but to grieve in her absence.
 
But let us not forget to be thankful for the time we did have.  Every day with Donna was a gift, a privilege, a blessing. She touched so many lives in so many positive ways. Even now, she has reminded me that every day we are allowed to live and love and enjoy each other is truly our greatest reason to give thanks.