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Jennifer Gianino
A group of more than 100 Alpha Xi Delta college women at The Workout
During a season of giving thanks, msnbc.com asked you to share your stories of what you're especially grateful for this Thanksgiving. Here's a sampling of some of your responses:
Sorority sisterhood
I'm a proud member of Alpha Xi Delta and thankful for my membership in the organization. I joined Alpha Xi Delta as a college freshman where I was an active member, continued as an active alumnae volunteer and had the distinct opportunity to work for the national organization for six years.
Alpha Xi Delta colony members, volunteers and staff at National Convention 2009
I was a typical college student and enjoyed the leadership development and social aspects of being in a sorority. During that time, I became close friends and confidants to many of my sisters and those friendships continue today. As graduation was approaching, I was hesitant to leave the creature comforts of my sorority sisters as they were my "family." I wasn't sure what to expect as an alumnae member, but quickly began working a as a chapter adviser, which lead to my six-year career for the national organization.
During my time as a staff member working with alumnae volunteers and college members, did I truly begin to realize what Alpha Xi Delta and my sisters mean to me - true amd unconditional friendships, laughter, tears, stories to share with our sisters and daughters and ultimately, love and support from a group of women who share a bond ... a belief that cannot be broken.
Membership in a sorority is more than an oath or songs -- it's about gaining confidence, making lasting friendships, inspiring others, leaving a legacy for others to enjoy, developing intelligent women and to help others who are less fortunate. It's an experience that cannot be taken from me and that I cherish each and every day.
Jennifer Gianino
St. Louis, MO
Aubrey Rae Deno today
Miracle survivor
I'm thankful for this precious little girl. She was diagnosed with leukemia when she was 13 months old. She went through chemo but had a particularly mean type of leukemia which forced her to have a bone marrow transplant.
She had reactions to several different medications which landed her in intensive care, and after the transplant ended up with a liver disease that almost killed her. Her little body swelled up because her liver stopped working and she was on a ventilator for several weeks. She was in the hospital for siz months and it's a miracle that she's still here with us.
She's home with her family. And while she is still on lots of medications and is house-bound for a few more months, she is a happy-go-lucky 2-year old and I'm so thankful for her and what she's taught me about resilience and not taking life for granted. I'm also thankful for the many nurses and doctors who took such great care of her and our family at one of the darkest times.
Tracy Deno
Chicago, IL
Family bond
Earlier this year, I lost my younger brother to suicide. It's the hardest thing I've ever had to go through. I'm thankful for my 2-year-old son, my family and my dear friends. During planning the funeral, my son was a ray of sunshine, and made a difficult task seem almost bearable.
My friends, parents and remaining siblings have all been there, no matter how much I called and cried. To them I will be forever grateful!
Adele Fung
Atlanta, GA
Lucky to be alive
I am a father of three happily married to the love of my life. Before that I was in the military deploying back-to-back-to-back to Iraq and Afghanistan on multiple deployments.
What I am thankful for is surviving and having the chance to build the life I have with my amazing wife and three precious children.
Attached is the picture of the truck after a roadside bomb took us out. There is no reason I should be alive today other than God had big plans.
Geoff Wheelock
Queen Creek, AZ
Live the Adventure roadtrip and mustaches
Friends forever
I am thankful for my friends! They keep me sane and remind me that life isn't just about me. We are always looking for silly new adventures and ways to meet the needs of the hurting in our community.
I love that they aren't afraid to put me in my place when I go a little crazy. My friends are more than just my friends, they are my family!
Starting over
Through the course of my life I've had to start over "from nothing" no less than three times. I'm thankful that I've the intellect and resilience to make it through these trials, because I'm now able to share my life with my wonderful son. We are fortunate that I'm employed, have a nice little house in the country with decent schools, and are able to share this modest bounty with good friends and neighbors. It's my strongest desire to continue this and raise my son to be a good husband and father someday.
Ann Jacklin
Lebanon, TN
The Red Baron
I am thankful for my family, who are always busy living their lives, but know where to find me, when all is said and done. I am thankful for my animals who love me so much, and give me so much love without question I am thankful to be living in the greatest country on Earth, these United States of America and to be a citizen of this great nation.
The Red Baron
I am thankful I can voice my opinions and my thanks to Jesus Christ my Saviour without being persecuted for my beliefs. I am very thankful to be fortunate to have a job and for my husband to have a very good job, even if it means we are separated for almost all of the year.
I am very thankful for turning 50 and for the lovely red car I got! Most of all, I am thankful for a year of good health and well being for my family and friends.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
Annie Wilson
Denver, CO
Long road to recovery
I am very thankful this year because my daddy is doing great after having cancer surgery in March on his face. The doctors had to remove a part of the skin on his cheek and remove his limp nodes in his neck. They had to remove skin from his leg to replace the skin they removed on his face.
It was very shaky at first. We thought we were going to lose him a few times. After several days in the hospital they put him in a rehab center for eight weeks. He came home but ended back in the hospital just days later because he got an infection from the rehab center.
After the hospital got him all well he ended back in the rehab center again for a couple of weeks. This time when he came home he stayed home. It's been a long road for him and my mom but thankfully he is doing great.
My daddy will be 83 next month. The rate the doctors were taking care of him we weren’t sure if he would make it to this birthday but thankfully my mom listen to us girls and got another doctor who really cares about my dad.
Charlotte Eastman
Ferguson, MO
My daughter
Against the odds
I have so much to be grateful for in my life. I know for a fact that I am not supposed to be in the position I am today. If you were to go by statistics, I was supposed to have been a teenage mother and a drug addict. I was supposed to have continued the cycle of poverty.
However, through the grace of God and a lot of people in my corner, I hold a management position in government and I am working on my Ph.D. I defeated the odds.
However, what I am most grateful for is my wonderful husband who supports me in all my endeavors, who believes me, and who loves me with all of his heart and soul. I am grateful for my precious daughter whose smile can brighten up an entire room and laughter can heal any broken heart. She is so perfect and beautiful.
Although I have achieved a level of success, my family is what is most important to me and without them I would not be anybody.
Melissa Bailey
Prattville, AL
Water filled my sister's basement and rose to knee height on the main floor.
Spared from the floods
I am thankful that the city in which I live built a dike to save my house from the flooding Missouri River.
Four days separated the announcement that a flood was coming and the city's decision that they would built a dike.
We frantically sandbagged our house and our neighbors' homes and moved our belongings out, but in the end our house remained dry. I am so grateful that we were spared.
My sister, 100 miles north in Minot, N.D., wasn't so lucky.
Andrea Fonkert
Bismark, ND
I recently bought a new car. But that’s not what I’m thankful for, it’s just a symptom. My wife and I both worked for a large company for over 15 years, and built a good and modest life together, doing all the usual things you do when times are good. In 2006, we even managed to build the house we’d been dreaming of owning for years.
But then, in 2008, the company began to show signs that it was in serious trouble and my wife was cut in the first round of layoffs. I managed to hang on until January of 2009, when I, along with several hundred others who had unknowingly built their lives on shifting sands, learned that the company would be closing its doors for good. I was out of a job and my new home was losing value at a record pace.
With over 3000 newly unemployed people flooding the local job market, my wife and I chose to sell our new home for 35 percent less than we paid for it just two-and-a-half years before and move back to where we met. I never imagined that at 44 years old I would move in with my in-laws, but it was a decision that would allow us to remain mobile while we searched for work. Those were hard times. You just don’t realize how much your work, your home, and your social network define you until they’re all gone.
Thankfully, my wife and I are both employed today. We are older and more cautious than before, and I hope wiser. But I knew that things were stabilizing for us when we both decided that it was time for me to finally replace my 9-year-old car. I’ve always been a little amused by peoples' reaction to the smell of a new car, since I’m certain everyone would hate it in any other context.
But people like it because it means something. It means new, shiny, perfect and success. To me, my car smells like a life not restored, but at least repaired.
Doug Hess
Cincinnati, OH
Leave a Comment:
I'm thankful for the leading pic!
Seriously, though, I'm thankfull for more than I complain about. Family and friends, the few people I dare call friends, my four legged pack members, those are always there and I for them, both living and fallen (I've pretty much got a 50/50 split on living and fallen, leaning more towards fallen). I'd have to say I'm thankfull for my entire life up until 21; those years and those around me made it absolutely 'the sky's the limit' and had the life of Riley. Thankfull for living through the mistakes I'd made the next 3 years.
It's been rough in some ways; I lost my mother to pancreatic cancer, found out my wife had an affair for about a year, lost my best girl (dog in avatar), lost my job as a medical professional due to economy and am back machining (hate it!), got mauled by one of my saved dogs (and lost him.... about killed me, he was good), lost my home to foreclosure, recently my best friend from childhood died at 43, all in the span of about 4 years..... but in the end?
I've got a close network of loves in my life, those I count and depend upon, another home, a bit of a wake up call in some ways, opportunities coming along financially, and am actually able to have a Thanksgiving dinner this year. In ways, I'm going coccoon, starting over and optimistic. I'm even thankfull for my being laid off, unemployed years as I'd bonded with my daughters in a way I doubt I would have otherwise; spending time in the parks, hiking, biking, etc.... .
I may not have much, but value what I do.... and this wouldn't mean squat without my pack; my family, my friends. They mean the world. I'd dwelled on all the negative things; no longer. Everyone has someone, something about themselves, something that they are gratefull for, are thankfull for, and this day is one to make sure you let those you love know what they've meant to you.
As a somewhat negative here, though, I'm thankfull that 2011 is almost over.......
I'm thankful for the letter F.
Family, Faith, Friends, our Founder's, Framer's and Freedom.
Regardless of the problems in our great nation we can all still realize we live in the freest land in the world. We may agree to disagree or disagree to agree, that's what makes it so special.
Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving.
Myself and my family are thankful to have a home and be current on the mortgage payments. We're thankful to have each other, we're thankful to have plenty of food to eat and clothes on our backs. We're thankful to have a modest but reliable retirement income to provide for our needs. We're thankful to be in relativity good health and we're thankful most of all that God saw fit to provide these things for us. (If the mention of God's name offended you please save the nasty comments. I don't presume to tell others what to believe so please extend to me the same courtesy.) Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.
I am thankful just to be alive and complaining, why are so many people being forced to work on thanksgiving what a shame. the one big family day for Americans is being taken away for corporate profit I just hope Americans that value their country and family won't be out shopping and lets not forget our men and women in the military ,, we wouldn't be having a thanksgiving if it wasn't for the great people America produces. now I'm going to salute the flag and say a prayer and thank god for such a great country and people.
Harry, you observe that so many people are being forced to work on Thanksgiving. I too dislike the corporate profits, etc. However, a different way to frame that instead of "so many people are being forced to work" is to try this attitude: So many people GET to work . . . on Thanksgiving day and other days.
For those of us who are privileged to have a job, I am thankful.
For my friends who brought me a complete, cooked Thanksgiving dinner from Cranberry sauce to home-made pumpkin pie, I am very grateful.
For my incredible brothers and sisters and delightful daughter, I am grateful.
And to God who provides, I owe it all. As W. Lockridge said earlier, " (If the mention of God's name offended you please save the nasty comments. I don't presume to tell others what to believe so please extend to me the same courtesy.)"
I'm thankful for this forum, where ideas can be exchanged.
My gratitude to my amazing husband, who does everything to take care of me (I'm disabled), absolutely knows no bounds.
And I'm thankful for much, much more!
I am thankful for my new life since was disowned by my religious family,Know god no peace,know god no peace.
with high unemployment, homelessness, millions of foreclosed homes, i can honestly say i am truly thankful that i have a job, a home not in foreclosure, and a large family gathering today. by the grace of God i am what i am.
I'm thankful for a loving family, close friends and a warm inviting Church. I'm thankful that I am apart of a great Nation where regardless of the situation we always rise to the occasion and do the right thing in the end. I'm thankful that I am apart of a family lineage that encompasses serving this country during every military conflict since WWI and survived combat intact for the most part. I'm thankful for a loving wife, of 39 years, 5 strong children, 14 grandchildren, and a 3 year old great grandson born the night before this great country elected its first President of color. I'm thankful to be privileged enough to live in a country where we can speak our mind and have the right to disagree without being disagreeable. Here I am preparing to eat a glorious meal in the warm confines of my home feeling thankful that I can look back without longing to be back, confident that the best is yet to come. So, Thank you.
I am thankful for my charming, modest home, and the fact that I have plenty to eat and clothes on my back. I might not have much in the grand scheme of things, but so many have so much less that I am truly grateful.
I am thankful for America, despite all its flaws and my complaints, America is the country that accepted my grandparents who were fleeing their homeland during the Armenian Genocide, (when the Muslim Turks were killing the Christian Armenians). America saved their lives and gave them opportunities. For that I am indeed grateful. So, thank you, America! Happy Thanksgiving to all.
God bless our military wherever they may be....
Term Limits !
Now we need them in all elected and appointed offices !
A few days before Thanksgiving a Dodge Dakota with Brazil License plates was spotted in down town St. Louis. My family and I are thankful for their safe passage. Wondered how a Brazil plated truck could get so deep into the Country legally, than thought of NAFTA. So thanks Prez Obie and have a nice T-Day.
What an ignorant and Non-Thanksgiving like comment. I am thankful for a President that is winding down wars, holding our country together with a band-aid when it was on life support from the previous administrations robbing of the poor to give more to the rich.
I'm thankful for the slate of repub candidates, aka the Obama re-election committee.
You mean the hateful, better-than-everyone-else, give tax breaks to co's that outsource OUR jobs, Repukelicans? yeah, those people. barf
I am thankful to be alive this Thanksgiving too Last year at this time Dr. X would not refill a
prescription and I almost stroked out and died. In fact, I believe I was clinically dead for
about 30 minutes because there was no pulse. I didn't time my ordeal. But Jesus is always right
on time. And I believe we are living in "The Fullness of Time" thank God.
We gave out , about 2400 plus turkeys , this week from a 53 foot truck trailer . We kept an eye out for the biggest bird in the trailer , which weighed about 32 pounds . We could not cook it in our oven because it would not fit , so we cooked it outside in a smoking type grill . It came out really great . From what I'm seeing , there won't be much in the way of left overs. I'm glad of that . Makes me think that everything came out OK . "Happy Thanks Giving" to all . I'm just waiting now for room to have a cup of coffee and a piece of pumpkin pie. I'll worry about the calories another day...
I am Thankful Corporate America has not turned us completely into slaves yet, but they're getting closer everyday.
I am very thankful for my family. I am most thankful for another year with my daughter, and the hero who made it possible. Four years ago she and I spent thanksgiving in the hospital 200 miles away from home due to complications from her liver transplant that she recieved two weeks earlier. She was only a couple of days away from being too sick to survive the surgery when they found a compatable liver. We will be forever grateful to her doner and his family. Please consider becoming an organ doner. People die every day waiting for an organ. My Katie was almost one of them. Instead, she will be graduate college this spring and getting married shortly after.
Next fall we will elect a President and give this little boy who's been play-acting president for the last three years the bums rush. Now that is something to be really thankful for!
sad person
Count your blessings. But I'll need a calculator. I'm thankful I live in the USA.
As a medical student, I'm grateful for this opportunity to be lazy and have absolutely nothing to do for the next 3 days (last exam was yesterday). I'm grateful that most of my neighbors have gone home or to their loved ones, so I get to turn up my bass for the first time in my apartment. I'm grateful that I'm not at home (yet) and running errands and being bored because I'm can't carry my desktop (which has most of my games) home. I am grateful for free time, solitude, and peace of mind!!
Going home tomorrow.
I am thankful for Occupy. Their physical presence tells a story of the 99% that cannot be denied. Just this morning, i heard the rushbo say on his radio program about how reed's push for the idea that the gop favors the wealthy won't work. But i ask you what about Occupy.
I'd like to boink the sorority sisters and then stimulate the economy by making it rain.
one of the funniest and most honest posts I've seen!
I am thankful I won't hear "Happy Thanksgiving Day" much longer and I say - though it sounds nice to say "Thanksgiving" every 3rd thursday in November - instead of gulping Turkey muscle, take a trip to Pine Ridge Reservation and see what "liberty and the pursuit of happiness" has done for those who own this land, though the Good Book says, "You shall not covet your neighbor's house, nor his wife, ...nor anything(including land or resources)that is your neighbor's." Woe be to us(U.S.) Exodus 20:17
I too am thankful for Occupy and the hope they give that we might be a nation of the people, by the people and for the people again someday.
... Life ...
I'm thankful to have lived during America's greatness 1950-2008 and enjoyed the bounty with my wife of 35 years. We basically prepared for the decline of the country, while others thought we were chicken little. I now get to sit on the sidelines and watch the gen abcdefg... reap what they have sown.
bfitz...Yes, such a qualified field of candidates !