My oldest daughter sent me a link to a song this week about being rich in family. It reminded me of a moving line in the movie, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. This movie from 1946 should be required watching during this holiday season.

Basically, the team of the movie is about the most loved man in town (a banker named George Bailey) who lost his way and thought he was a failure and had nothing to live for, only to be reminded by an angel, that he is in fact, very blessed. His business partner and uncle Harry, lost some of the bank’s money that would cause the bank to go under. George was despondent and ready to take his own life only to meet his angel who changed his mind. Watch the movie this holiday season, and it will help you recognize how blessed you really are. In one of the last lines of the movie, his uncle toasts him and says, “To George Bailey, the richest man in town.”

Between the song my daughter sent me and this old Jimmy Stewart movie, it reminded me of how really rich I am. I am rich because of my beautiful wife of 47 years, my two beautiful daughters, two fine son in-laws and my four precious grandbabies. God has had his hand on my family for many years and there is not a more grateful (and rich in blessings) husband, father, father in-law and grandfather in the world than me.

I am truly rich. KT

I served in the United States Navy for five years and I am a veteran. To carry the same title (veteran) as those men and women who served in harm’s way and many that didn’t come home, seems grossly unfair to the ones that mattered. I was never in harm’s way and never left the United States. The ones that matter, are the ones that gave and some that gave all.

Of late, I seem to be captivated by the lead up to WWII that started when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. Until then, the US was content to watch the conflict in Europe from the shores of the United States. Everything changed on December 7, 1941, with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The US declared war on Japan the next Day December 8^th and with Japan being an ally of Germany, the United States declared war on Germany three days later on December 11, 1941. Within Four days, the United States entered two wars that would change the history of the world. The world as it was known on December 6^th, ceased to exist over the next four days.

Over the next four years, 400,000 young men and women died and never came home so someone like me can sit at a computer and write a blog about that time in history. To say it is humbling to be referred to as a veteran, is an understatement. Those men and women deserved the title veteran. After WWII tens of thousands of young men and women have died in conflicts around the world so we as an American can live free.

In a little town in north Georgia named Dahlonega, every 4^th of July and every veteran’s day, the town puts out white crosses along the city streets, each with a service members’ name and war they fought in. All the crosses are for men and women that lived in Dahlonega and the surrounding county and that died in service to America. The crosses are spaced out about every 20-30 feet and just driving through the town, it seems there are hundreds, maybe even several thousand, young men and women that didn’t came home alive, all from this one little north Georgia town. Multiply that by little towns and cities across America and you can get a sense of the human sacrifice over the years to keep America safe.

Thank a veteran and remember those in your family who may have served and please, by all means, recognize how blessed we are to live in American. KT

With Veterans Day coming on November the 11^th followed by Thanksgiving on November the 28^th, it’s a good time for a little reflection. I don’t know about you, but the fall season is my favorite time of the year. The weather turns a little cooler, the leaves turn colors, you can have a fire in the fireplace, and it is just is a happy season leading up to Thanksgiving and Christmas.

In America, many people just don’t recognize what it took for us to be able to sit around a fire or hold hands with our family as we pray over a Thanksgiving meal or unwrap a gift at Christmas.

This past weekend, I was reminded of what a price our fathers and grandfathers and their fathers before them paid so we could be safe and live our lives as we decide. A couple weeks ago in Sunday school there was a question, if we had ever been persecuted for our faith or not? The answer is that no one in that room had ever been persecuted. You may have had your feelings hurt over faith but nothing that would approach persecution. I am reminded of Hitler who wanted to impose his socialist ideology on all the countries around Germany including the Jewish people. That was persecution. What we have experienced is maybe a little shunning from other people, hurt feelings now and then and the occasional bruised ego.

You think of all the past wars that were fought and the men and women waking up every day not knowing if they would be alive that night. Those soldiers watched their friends die around them and fought with all their hearts to simply stay alive and come home to their families and live in freedom. That is the price that was paid for you and me.

The image of being a parent taking your son or your daughter to report for active duty is an image that has played out millions of times for fathers and mothers across America. Thank God I never had to take my daughters to report for duty. I am so thankful for our lives.

My point is as you look toward the 2024 holiday season ahead, I believe we should all have a reality check on what price was paid so we can enjoy a peaceful holiday season with our families. I know I will, and I hope you will also. KT

I have always been a direct communicator. When there is an issue, I want to speak with someone personally. As can be attested by my family, many times when calling a company, I have to repeat the magic words, “representative, representative” and then several more times,” representative”. Then I have to confirm they are in the United States and not overseas somewhere.

Why am I telling you this? Companies are increasingly moving to voice message only and forcing customers to listen to menus and select options and just maybe, after five tries, you may get rewarded with a human being that can actually speak to you. They are doing everything in their power to get you to address all your issues on their website. Likewise, the younger generations are increasingly reliant on email, chats, bots, leaving a ticket (this one really gets me going) and any other means of communication other than actually speaking with someone.

I have done this many times – I tell a staff member to call so and so and get this or that done. I check three days later and ask them if they got it done and hear, “oh yes, I took care of it.” Only when I say, “tell me in detail how you took care of it,” do I get the real story and that is that their method of ‘taking care of it’ was sending an email or doing a ‘chat’ or my personal favorite ‘putting in a ticket.’

In these situations, I feel like screaming at them but that won’t solve the issue. Therefore, my default is the following, ‘Tom, I want you to listen to the very words coming out of my mouth. I want you to call (physically pick up the phone) so and so every 30 minutes today until you actually speak to them and get this resolved. Do you understand what I am asking you to do? No emails, no chats, no questions on a website and certainly no putting in a ticket. Tom, please confirm you understand. “ha

Well, there you have it, the very outdated, old-school method of dealing with an issue by H. Keith Thompson. KT

Below is one of the sweetest videos I have ever seen. The family in the video has two dogs and one of them is deaf. When the family comes home after shopping, the girl dog goes to wake up her deaf brother dog to come and welcome the family home. They have probably only been gone for a couple hours but to a dog, it is an excitement that needs to be shared. She wants her brother to be able to share in the joy.

While watching this video, I couldn’t help but think about the upcoming election and all the animosity, anger, hate, resentment that is in the news every day. How did we get it so wrong? A dog doesn’t judge you. They just care about their fellow friends and that is how we should be.

I could write on this subject for 10 pages but after watching the video, you will understand what I am saying. KT

https://www.usatoday.com/videos/life/animalkind/2024/10/24/see-the-sweet-moment-a-dog-plays-alarm-clock-for-her-deaf-brother/75828137007