Thanksgiving 2019 is here. I can’t believe it. Where has this year gone? As my Grandmother Brown always used to tell me when I was young, “Honey, the years will pass more quickly as you grow older.” As a result of this and many of her other “sayings” and actions that I witnessed in my youth, I realize how right and wise she was each and every day.
Yes, the years are passing more quickly. And, 2019 has passed very quickly for my family due to some serious health issues that have effected both my mother and my father. We have all heard it said before, sometimes in life, things happen that we can’t control. We wish the outcome would have been different. And, if we had a chance to write the script ourselves, we would have written it differently. As it happened with our family, things were fine on New Years Day and then quickly changed two days later when my Mom suddenly became gravely ill. Cherish each and every moment with your family to the fullest. Things can change quickly.
We all should realize that we are not writing the script. God is in full control at all times. And, when times get tough, whether due to health concerns like my family has faced this past year or for whatever reason, we must never lose sight of the fact that God is in full control. And, HE “has our back” at all times, no matter what mountains we face. As the Bible says, “God works for the good of those who love God.” I am brought to tears when I think of how this biblical passage (with God as my rock) has seen me through what I have faced with my parents’ health issues this past year. The strength these words have given me, along with the prayers, concerns and outpouring of support from my parents, other family members, friends and the tremendous team of people with whom I work each and every day has seen me through. In short, I wouldn’t have made it otherwise. Yes, I have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving!
I have not written much about my parents’ health issues in my previous columns because I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I was too much in the middle of dealing with it. I was too close to the ever changing situation at the time. And honestly, I didn’t know what else was about to happen or where it was going to end. I have just been dealing with each day one day at a time trying to get through, while also trying my very best not to neglect or fall short in any of my responsibilities with regard to the Bossier Press Tribune.
As such, I would like to thank David Specht, President of Specht Newspapers, for his faithful friendship and support during this time. David has always operated this company with a “family first” attitude and mentality and Lord knows, I have had to “cash in my chips” in this regard on so many occasions this year. I was doing what I had to do and no question, family first. But again, I am so thankful and appreciative for the support, encouragement, understanding and “standing in” that I have received this past year from David Specht and the tremendous team of people with whom I work. Yes, I have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving!
Just a few weeks ago, I was dreading the holidays (something that I have always cherish and looked forward to). And, I felt that I didn’t have much to look forward to or to be thankful for this year. Honestly, that’s not me. Those were very dark moments for me because I always try to be thankful and appreciative of everyone and everything (as we all should be) and again, I love the holidays.
However, now that Thanksgiving is actually here, I have taken some time to look back over the events of the past year. And, in doing so, I quickly realized that I have more to be thankful for than ever before! Truthfully, I realized that I have so many true blessings for which to be thankful. This is true for all of us! I briefly lost sight of this , but never really forgot, of course not. My biggest blessings and the things that I am most thankful for this Thanksgiving are: my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, my family, my friends, our team at BPT, my church, our advertisers and supporters of BPT and our readership/subscribers. And very importantly, the remarkable and amazing recovery that both of my parents are making with God’s healing hand guiding each and every day.
So yes, I have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving! And, so do you. I have not mentioned much about my Thanksgiving memories from years past, as I normally do in my traditional Thanksgiving columns. However, what I said above is straight from my heart. I couldn’t keep it inside any longer. It had to be said! And, it needed to be said.
Well, my traditional Thanksgiving column with memories and reflections from the past will have to wait until next year. Let me ask, what are you thankful for this Thanksgiving? What is your favorite memory of Thanksgivings past? If you are like me, I am sure that you have several fond memories of Thanksgiving from years gone by.
Please enjoy and make the most of the memorable moments with your family and friends this Thanksgiving! Again, cherish each and every one of them. I hope that you all have a great and very memorable Thanksgiving!
Randy Brown is publisher of the Bossier Press-Tribune. He can be reached at rbrown@bossierpress.com.
