I do not have any new posts for Thanksgiving This is a repeat from two years ago.
Gratitude should be constantly expressed and not just on a special day. If we practice thankfulness, we have less time for complaining. We will have fewer negative thoughts and will be happier.
We will gather this week with family and friends to give thanks to God for our many blessings. Our family has many things to be grateful for. The list is long.
Last year after the publication of “Butch The One Of A Kind Dog,” I wrote that animals are not usually on the list of things we give thanks for. I thought of all of the animals that have brought pleasure into my life: dogs, cats, horses, a goat named Nanny and even a donkey named Pete.
I realized that I had never stopped to consider how much I owe to Holstein cows. I grew up on a dairy farm. As I reflected on that time, I realized that I took the cows for granted. Those cows made a living for our family. The sale of their milk provided me with the necessities as well as the comforts of my youth. The cows also provided the means for the support of my pets.
The dairy experience also taught me the value of hard work and thrift. I was involved in the teamwork of processing the milk from an early age. I did not realize at the time that the experience would be an asset in maturity.
When we moved to Stephenville there was a dairy close to our property. We had a common fence on the east and the cows grazed just across the fence. I enjoyed watching them. Eventually the dairy sold and the cows were moved. I miss the spotted cows.