Mingle often with good people to keep your soul nourished. – Anthony Douglas
My beautiful wife, Martha, and I were recently invited to an early Thanksgiving Dinner by a customer of ours. We are not very social people, my wife and I. However, the invite from this particular person was an easy one to accept. He’s one of those special people. A devout follower of his religion, he bubbles with honesty, candor and humor. It was a small event in the overall scheme of life, but, in todays insane world, wonderful, small occasions can have a very necessary, revitaliz‐ ing effect. This was one such event. When you’re around good people, evil completely disappears. There were probably about forty people at this gathering. No alcohol. No drugs. No bluster. No anger. Just humble, interesting conversation. Most of us didn’t appear to know each other well, although there were some acquaintances in the group. The common thread was our host and hostess and their gracious family. And, God. I’m not the most religious person in the world and I can’t speak for everyone in attendance, as to what their religious beliefs might be, but, I honestly can’t believe that anyone attending this function could not have felt the presence of our Lord. It wrapped us like a comfort‐ able blanket. Conversation was uplifting and peaceful. People sharing their life experiences without boasting or whining. Smiles were abundant. Pleasant, sincere smiles. The smiles that come from warm hearts. Smiles with soul. We sat next to friends we didn’t know as we awaited our meal and enjoyed the delightful singing of the hosting family. We knelt our heads in prayer. We broke bread. The meal was amazing, served by the family that made all of us feel so welcome. When the meal was over the gratitude could be felt throughout the room. Martha and I eventually made our way to the door and said our farewells. As we walked carefully on the icy driveway toward our car we both carried a smile with us and we noticed it was the same for the others as they made their way back to their vehicles. The charm of the moment made me feel that it would have been more appropriate to be climbing onto a horse drawn buggy instead of a Jeep. Martha and I have seen many things in our time together and between the two of us shared many beautiful moments. But, the memory of this particular Thanksgiving Dinner will forever hold a prized spot on our shelf of honors. The simple things in life will never be outdone. Nothing in this world can stop good people from being good people. To our host: From the bottom of our hearts, thanks to you and your family for sharing your home and this special day with us. It truly was a reminder of the many things we have to be thankful for. God bless you all.