OPINION: Thankful for many things

I am thankful when the lady I sit next to at the Georgia games gives her ticket to someone else. She is an obnoxious and unfriendly fan. She plays the McDonald’s French fry game on the jumbotron screen and gets really, really mad when she can’t find Uga under the bag of French fries. I am thankful when she shares her tickets with others.

I am thankful that my preteen daughter has no interest in having a Facebook page. I am thankful for my Facebook page because I am nosy.

I am thankful for Becky, Dawn, Michelle and Courtney. These women provide excellent customer service for the policyholders at Jon Massey State Farm Insurance. Their patience, kindness, and willingness to help are one some of the reasons why people trust this State Farm team.

I am thankful for the fun sense of humor my co-workers offer in my daily life. A most recent example is when they purchased a lovely bouquet of flowers in my honor. When they handed me the flowers, the card inserted in the bouquet had the pre-printed message “WELCOME BABY.” This was the only card available and after writing their well-wishes, they ended their comment by saying “at least you’re not pregnant,” which is probably another thing that I should be thankful for at this stage in my life.

I am thankful for my parents and my in-laws. Our lives are enriched by their presence in our lives and I love them very much. My dad makes me laugh, my mom is the most loving person I know and my in-laws raised a man who has given me and our daughters a wonderful sense of love, security, and laughter.

I am thankful when I realize I have a few more dollars in my checking account than I realized. I am thankful for separate checking accounts.

I am thankful for my neighbor who has hidden a spare key for me to retrieve when I need to borrow milk, bread, sugar, eggs and cream of mushroom soup. I am also thankful for her hydrangeas and her gardening skills.
I am thankful for the policeman on Highway 15 who chose the other Avalon to pull over for speeding instead of the Avalon I was driving.

I am thankful that I completely understand my youngest daughter. I know what is going through her mind when I find all kind of trinkets hidden in secret places. “I’m going to use that one day so I’d better hold on to it,” she is thinking. I know — I was 8 once, too.

Being thankful at Thanksgiving is what we are supposed to do; being thankful every day is what we need to do. As often as our hearts and minds allow, we should show gratitude and thankfulness every day. Happy Thanksgiving!

Tricia Massey is a member of the Commerce Downtown Development Authority, serves on the board of the Boys & Girls Club, chairs the Commerce Public Library’s capital campaign and is marketing director for Northridge Medical Center. She lives in Commerce.