a thankful staff
It seems Thanksgiving really gets lost in the shuffle.
While we should be thankful every day for our blessings, big and small, the fact that one day has been formally set aside for reflection, contemplation and thankfulness should not go unacknowledged, or considered “just another day.”
Or worse, seen as the first shopping day of the Christmas season, now that stores have started opening late on Thanksgiving Day — if they close at all.
Many farragutpress staff members wanted to express thankfulness.
Advertising manager Sherry Long said she is “thankful for a wonderful husband who is an amazing caregiver and has helped me reach seven years cancer-free. We are now enjoying the fun of our first grandchild.”
“Family, football and turkey,” tops the list for account executive Peyton Hairston III.
Corporate accountant Carolyn Reid said she is “thankful that my son and his new wife were able to survive hurricane ‘Nate,’ and come home safely from their honeymoon cruise.”
Staff writer Tammy Cheek said she is “thankful for her health and still having my 17-year-old dachshund, Prissy.”
Account executive Laura Sayers said she is “so thankful I have a fabulous, healthy family and I finally got a pool this summer.
“Also … the McRib is back, that is always special.”
“This season and everyday, I’m thankful for the many blessings God has given me,” said Linda Tirban, who oversees display advertising and the service directory. “A wonderful family, wonderful friends ... a wonderful life. And thankful that an ordinary person like me has been blessed with extraordinary opportunities and experiences throughout my life.”
“I am thankful for a good job that is close to home, doing what I love, which is to write feature stories,” staff writer Michelle Hollenhead said. “I am also thankful for my family, especially my grandchildren, Blake and Bailey, and grateful that we are all in good health.”
Editor Alan Sloan said he is “thankful to God for my health, especially after a couple of things I recently went through. I’m thankful to God for two outstanding communities where I work, Farragut — plus the local schools — and where I reside, Madisonville.
“Thankful to God for a professional and caring staff at farragutpress, and for the fellowship and Christian lessons I’m trying to learn — often slowly and unsuccessfully — from true people of God at First Baptist Church of Madisonville.”
Account executive Charlene Waggoner said she is “thankful for a wonderful community and family time during the holiday season.”
Graphic designer Cindy Wilfert expounded eloquently on the topic.
“I think that thankfulness is a crucial part of a happy, healthy life; not just during the holiday season, but all year round,” she said. “When your heart is full of gratefulness for the blessings you have been given, it is difficult to be upset over negative things or that which you lack.
“I must confess that I am at times guilty of forgetting to focus on thankfulness. So one thing that I am thankful for is a special time of year set aside to remind me,” she added. “I am also grateful for my family and friends, both those I interact with often and those I see just at the holidays. I am thankful for my dog — my faithful companion who brings so much joy to my life. I am grateful for my health and the ability to enjoy the world around me.
“The truth is that I have countless blessings and could go on for pages if I tried to number any significant portion of them. But for me, the most important aspect of thankfulness is the One to whom I offer my thanks. I am most grateful for my savior, Jesus Christ, and for the hope and peace He offers. I thank God for all the blessings He has given me.”
Production manager Tony Christen said, “I have a lot to be thankful for and, like most, I am not always good at expressing it. I am truly thankful for my life.
“Having battled – and continuing to battle – a mental illness, depression, for several years, I am thankful for being alive, my family, my incredible wife, my colleagues and my friends,” he added. “To enjoy another holiday and all the little things that we take for granted everyday that mean so much: a hug, a sunrise, blue skies and the simplest pleasures that life has to offer.”
Circulation/receptionist Lori Timmis shared, “I am thankful for my husband and my family. I am also thankful for my new family members. My youngest son was married, so we have a new daughter-in-law; we have two new great-nephews; and my cousin’s grandchild is on the way. I am also thankful my oldest son landed a position as body weld engineer at Volkswagen in Chattanooga.
“I am thankful our Marine is in the U.S. as of now. I am thankful my family is happy and healthy, as we look forward to our journeys ahead of us in the new year,” she added.
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at farragutpress.
