MORE BLESSINGS THAN IT IS POSSIBLE TO COUNT

I am most thankful for my bride of 47 years and for our four children she raised almost entirely by herself during a nine-year period I spent mostly away from home on various tours of duty deployed to Southeast Asia.

She is my love and my hero. I also thank God for the enduring loyalty, courage, decency and patriotism of President and Mrs. George W. Bush and for the brave young volunteer members of our armed forces Mr. Bush has had the difficult duty to put in mortal peril to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States in fidelity to his demanding oath of office.

I am thankful for the generous, loving, kind members of the community where my wife and I live, especially for the members of our church, the people I work with and the parents of children it is my privilege to teach.

In truth there are more blessings than it is possible to count.

God bless America,

THANKFUL FOR CHURCH, FAMILY AND COUNTRY

Thank you for this opportunity to share what I will give thanks for on Thanksgiving Day:

I thank God for our military, for their sacrifice, dedication and service to our country.

I am thankful for my church, The Salvation Army, where I can worship and serve God.

I am thankful for a loving, supportive, and caring wife, family and friends.

I am thankful for being born and raised in Hawai'i, for living in a country that gives us among other things, religious freedom.

I am thankful for a daily newspaper that allows me to express myself without fear of censorship or being misquoted.

Most of all, I am thankful for God who gives me guidance and direction and meets my every need according to his will.

Have a happy Thanksgiving and may you have continued success and happiness in your life.

Ke Aloha Akua,

GRATEFUL FOR HEALTH AND A BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER

This Thanksgiving, I am grateful for many things. I am grateful for my health, my beautiful daughter Layla Tulloch who is an eighth-grader at Stevenson Middle School, my wonderful and supportive friends and God.

In June 2005 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Thanks to supportive co-workers, I was able to work throughout my treatment. My boss was extremely understanding. The Hawai'i Prince Hotel is a great place to work.

I'm especially thankful to have God in my life. Without Jesus' constant companionship I wouldn't have made it through my treatment.

We should all be grateful to live in beautiful Hawai'i; it truly is heaven on Earth.

THE SIMPLE JOYS OF LIFE BRING THANKFULNESS

As someone who must drive 23 miles to work in Kahala and another 23 to return home, the cost of energy is not lost. If only I could use alternative transportation. A bus would take more than two hours one way.

Yet, in reflection of the simple joys of life, I have much to be thankful for. Wouldn't it be fun to walk, run, swim or ride a bicycle to one's place of employment?

A few years ago, my wife introduced me to the importance of using a pedometer to ensure that one walks at least 10,000 steps a day. When you intentionally take a walk and aren't pressed for time, you can avail yourself of breathing in the wonderful air and smelling the flowers in bloom. Our dog Aiko loves to run, and so taking her out for her daily routine has become a great time to try to keep up with her! At the same time I benefit from the cardiovascular exercise.

My children love the ocean and when they want to go to the beach to take a swim, I usually join them in an immersion experience unparalleled on dry land.

Finally, our family enjoys the Honolulu Century Bike Ride c-co-sponsored by The Advertiser. We've pedaled our way from 25 to 40 and even 50 miles on the last Sunday of September and hope to do more next year.

So even as I find myself driving in traffic that tries one's patience, all I need to do is to visualize in my mind's eye, those times when I am walking, running, swimming, or bicycling and the stresses seem to melt away.

Yes, for these simple joys of life, I give God thanks!

THANKFUL FOR ALOHA SPIRIT ON ISLAND ROADS

I'm thankful to live in Hawai'i and drive on Hawai'i's roads, where the people have the aloha spirit.

There is an unwritten law here that two lanes of diverging traffic will take turns, one at a time from each lane. We take this for granted, but in many U.S. cities, like Boston for instance, drivers fight for position and have no sense of looking out for the other guy.

Thanks for keeping our roads full of loving aloha, Hawai'i.

THANKS SHOULD BE A PART OF OUR DAILY LIVES

There is so much to be thankful for as we observe Thanksgiving Day 2007. I would like to share and give thanks for the many blessings on this day.

Doris, my wife of 58 years, fell on a sloping driveway while helping me clean our yard. It could have been tragic since she is taking both Plavix and Warfarin as blood thinners for heart valve and dementia. She fractured her hip, and I have been the primary caregiver for the past four months.

I'm thankful for all the support and care from my children, grandchildren, son-in-law, relatives and loyal friends.

Doris is getting stronger, even though she uses a walker and wheelchair. She says "thank you" many times each day for the care and little things that I provide her.

Doris responds with gratitude and understands what I'm saying to her. I will cherish and love her each day.

I give thanks to God who has helped to keep me healthy and strong for 81 years. Each day is a blessing for the both of us.

Let us observe Thanksgiving Day not for just one day, but make it part of our daily life to express gratitude for our many blessings.

PRAYERFUL THANKS FOR DEAR ONES NEAR AND FAR

We humbly ask thy blessing on the turkey and the dressing, on the yams and cranberry jelly, and the pickles from the deli.

Bless the apple pie and tea, bless each and every calorie. Let us enjoy Thanksgiving dinner. Tomorrow we can all get thinner.

For all thy help along the way we're thankful this Thanksgiving Day. We're thankful, too, for all our dear ones, for all the far away and near ones.

Although we may be far apart, we're together in my heart. Keep us in thy loving care, this is my Thanksgiving prayer.

THANKSGIVING GETS LOST IN RUSH TO CHRISTMAS

"Merry Christmas!" is all I'm hearing in my mind as I walk around Ala Moana Shopping Center, Wal-Mart, and almost any other store. I'm almost expecting the cashiers to wish me a Merry Christmas and happy holidays when I leave.

As the years (seem to) go by faster, the holidays approach sooner as well. I remember certain stores decorating for Halloween almost the day after Labor Day. And the day after Halloween, the stores magically transformed into Santa's workshop. What happened to Thanksgiving?

Is the day on which our forefathers gave thanks so much less important to remember than trying to make that extra dollar off of Christmas decorations or a simple Christmas gift?

Although Christmas is a very special time of the year, I hope that you will remember to take the time to think about the sacrifices, risks and hardships our forefathers made to start a new life and a new country.

And when we roll in to December, which is the "Christmas" season for me, that's when I'll start wishing you a "Merry Christmas!"

Until then, I wish you a very fun-filled, stuffing-filled, and Happy Thanksgiving!

EACH ONE OF US HAS ABILITY TO MAKE HAWAI'I BETTER PLACE

MANY ISLAND RESIDENTS HELP STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITIES ALL YEAR

Thanksgiving in Hawai'i is celebrated in many different ways — a picnic with your 'ohana on the beach, a traditional feast around the dinner table, preparing kalua turkey in a backyard imu or watching football. Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on our countless blessings and celebrate the many opportunities that come from living in a country of freedom and prosperity. And, as always, we give thanks for the love of family and friends.

We appreciate that as part of our holiday tradition, hundreds of caring Hawai'i residents will volunteer their time to serve meals and reach out to those who are less fortunate. These selfless individuals represent the countless Hawai'i residents who generously lend a helping hand and strengthen our communities throughout the year.

In Hawai'i, we are especially blessed to be surrounded by the stunning beauty of the Islands, a diverse culture that welcomes family and friends from near and far, and the unmistakable aloha spirit that ties each of us to this special place we call home.

Each one of us has the ability and aloha in our hearts to make Hawai'i a better place by answering the universal call to love and respect our neighbors in the same manner as our own family and friends.

We are truly thankful for the compassion and respect we share with our neighbors in a blessed community where we are empowered to help those around us with the greatest needs.