Janice Tollini
Thanksgiving has always been an important holiday for my family ó always held at my grandparentsí home, with the traditional turkey, cranberries, etc., at 1 p.m. After my grandparents had passed, my mother, aunt and uncle took turns hosting the family dinner.
My mother was a bit stressed that first Thanksgiving at her home, wanting to preserve my grandmotherís traditions. Everything was going well, until I spotted a large dog wandering around outside. I went outside and the dog was a bit hesitant, but eventually I was able to get close enough to grab his collar. He had only a county license on his collar, and staffing was limited on Thanksgiving. I was able eventually to contact the on-call staff and get a name and address for the owner. I wasnít able to bring the stray dog into the house because my own dog was fairly angry at his presence. I loaded him into the car and told my mother I would be back as soon as I could, to go ahead and start dinner without me. This upset my mother.
I told her I was sorry for disrupting her otherwise well-executed meal, but I could not allow the dog to wander off to possibly get hit by a car or never find his way home. I asked her what she would want someone to do if they had found my dog in their yard. In that context, the choice was obvious. My family started dinner without me (but did save me some stuffing), and I was able to return ìGabeî to his worried and extremely grateful owners. I would like to think that others would do the same if my dog were lost and alone. And is that not what Thanksgiving is truly about; gratitude for the goodness and kindness in the world? | Mark Stoller
Camp Victory, Iraq: Nov. 27, was a normal day on our base located south of the Baghdad International Airport complex. From our base, we could hear every aircraft take off and land as U.S. troops transited through the country. The sound of engines from a very large aircraft passed over our base. We thought the DHL mail jet made a low pass over the base for fun. In reality, it was Air Force 1 delivering President George W. Bush on a secret trip to Baghdad. We went to the 1st Armored dining facility because it had more to offer on Thanksgiving Day. At the entrance, protective service folks checked everyone very carefully before we could enter. Across the facility, dressed in slacks, blue button-down shirt, and an Army training jacket was our Commander-inChief serving mashed potatoes and stuffing behind the food counter. With every plate he handed out, he had kind words and shared laughs with each soldier. His words to us were, ìI bring you a message from America. Thank you for your service. Weíre proud of you, and America stands solidly behind you.î President Bush is a very genuine man who wholeheartedly appreciates his troops. |
