Thanks for Everything

My wife, Shirley, and I have gone on vacations to a quiet beach in southwestern Florida for most of our married life. If that beach could talk, it would tell of teenage newlyweds who sunned and wrote "I love you" on its sands. It would tell of a little girl with eyes the color of the sea gathering seashells and of three wild boys leaping and diving into the surf. It would tell of joyous visits over the years from friends, parents, grandparents, new brides and grooms -- and now grandchildren. The beach would tell glorious tales of warmth and gratitude.

But I realized one day that I had rarely expressed my gratitude to the one who'd lived those years with me. On our 40th wedding anniversary, Shirley and I walked again the familiar margin of the sea. I told her then how thankful I was that she shared my life.

We don't have to wait for anniversaries to thank the ones closest to us -- the ones so easily overlooked. If I have learned anything about giving thanks, it is this: Give it now! While your feeling of appreciation is alive and sincere, act on it. Saying thanks is such an easy way to add to the world's happiness.

A few years ago, a young woman from a neighboring town won a scholarship to a prestigious college. Although the inner-city high school she attended was plagued with problems, she overcame them and excelled. When she graduated, she commended the often-maligned school for its challenging courses and her teachers for their special interest and encouragement. "I can't say enough good things about the school and the teachers who gave me so much of themselves," she said. "I shall be eternally grateful to them."

Saying thanks not only brightens someone else's world, it brightens yours. If you're feeling left out, unloved or unappreciated, try reaching out to others. It may be just the medicine you need.

Before A. J. Cronin became a bestselling author, he was a doctor. Once he told about a colleague who gave an unusual prei