I have so much to be thankful for. I wouldn’t know where to begin,” she said. I wouldn’t know either. As I looked around her home, I couldn’t find a thing that she could include. However, I discovered that the most welcoming are those who have little material things to offer.

Some years ago I had been working for the Commission on Economic Opportunity. It was the year

following a devastating flood in Pennsylvania.

My job was to interview

low-income families and assess their needs. The odd thing was I was looking at nothing at all, and this woman was thankful.

The home, though technically out of the flood area, looked like it had been a part of the destruction. That particular day it was in the upper 30s with a strong wind blowing. Snow was predicted by nightfall. Thanksgiving Day was approaching, and quite frankly my heart was not into doing these surveys.

Oddly I hadn’t even thought about what this family was looking forward to. I looked around the kitchen for some sign of a charitable box of goodies but saw nothing there. The house was bitter cold. “Well, I’m finished here. I hope you have a wonderful....” I didn’t know what to say.

“Look, I’m sorry. I know there must not be much

to be thankful for these days,” I said nervously. “Well, you certainly are wrong about that!” she said emphatically. Then, rising to her feet, she walked into the living room and stood in the middle. — Beliefnet.com