Evening star., 1947-11-23
lust Between
Yourselves ...
BY Philip H. Love.

Some time between now and when
ever you fall asleep Wednesday
night you ought to do bit Of stock
taking. You ought to make list,
mentally, at least, OF all the things
for which you should offer thanks
to God, not only on Thursday, but
every day in the year.
The trouble with most of us Is
that we take too many things for
granted. We assume that, simply
because we have always had them,
they are our inalienable rights. We
are not sufficiently aware that any
thing we possess, even our life. can
be snatched from us at any moment.
If we are healthy and able-bodied.
for example, we do not count our
selves as blessed until illness or &C
cident changes our outlook. Then,
perhaps too late, we realized how
stupidity ungrateful we have been.
Do you enjoy a happy home life?
Are your parents honest. intelligent
and congenial? Do you like your
school, your teachers and your
classmates? Do you have good
friends? Are you able to read the
books and magazines you like, go
to the movies, play or watch basket
ball and football games, engage in
or follow the other sports in which
you are interested?
If you are a boy of dating age,
do the girls welcome your phone
calls? Do you have dinner Jacket?
Can you afford to buy your date a
corsage when you take her to a
formal dance?
If you are girl, does your phone
ring often enough to keep up your
self-confidence? Do you have a
good selection OF attractive and de-
cent escorts?
Whatever our situation in life,
whether we be young or old, rich or
poor student or worker. in perfect
health or not, we have much for
which to be thankful.
Merely to be alive is something for
which to give thanks. And to be
living in the United States is q
blessing beyond comparison.
Any history book, read from the
proper viewpoint, is q guide to
thankfulness. Learning how the
overwhelming majority of people
lived in former periods of world
history should make even the least
fortunate among us grateful to be
alive today. And even the most
superficial knowledge of living con-
ditions in other countries-for all
but the wealthiest, that is-should
make even the poorest among us
feel like saying, Thank You, God,
for making me an American"
X
Conditions in our country are far
from ideal. it is true. Prices are too
high; many of the things We want
are too hard to get: our Govern
ment Is faced with some of the most
perplexing problems in all history;
the atom bomb threatens destruc-
ton for all of US: the Russians have
shown no inclination, so far, to help
the world find peace.
But our people are being paid
higher wages than ever before; our
production is greater than ever
before; with presidential election
year approaching, all our problems
are coming in for more thoughtful
study and increasingly vigorous de-
bate; we are blessed with the knowl-
edge that our Government, whether
controlled by Democrats or Repub-
licans, will never use atomic energy
for evil purposes; no nation is in
position to make war upon us, with
any reasonable expectation of win
ming, now or in the foreseeable
future.
If you are in the same condition
as most other citizens of the United
States, physically, economically and
otherwise, you should drop to your
knees some time Thursday and say,
as fervently as you know how:
"Tbank VGl1 Cod -