Briefing

Voices

thankfulfor...'

Season of GratitudeIt's about more than turkey and footballBY ELIZABETH BIAS

EVER SINCE ABRAHAM LINCOLN NAMED THE LAST THURSDAY IN NOVEMBER A DAY OF

Thanksgivingand Praise"150 yearsago, Americanshavetaken an annual pauseofgratitude.ThisyearTime askedpublicfigures to sharetheir personalmessages ofthanks.Here's a taste. Check out the full collection at time.com/timethanks.

MICHELLE OSAMA

First Lady of the UnitedStates, on stories shehears as she traveis the

country meeting withmiiitary famiiies:

Their stories take mybreath away.

They talk about movingevery coupie of years,finding another new joband heiping their kidsadjust to yet anothernew school. They tellme about spouses ontheir third, fourth orfifth deployment, awayfrom home for months

on end. They teii meabout missed birthdaysand anniversaries and

answering questions fromtheir kids about when

Mommy or Daddy Iscoming home.

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Wheh their spousesdo come home, theirfamilies often go throughmonths of readjustment: renegotiatingroles, rebalancingresponsibilities, rekindlinga relationship when bothpeople have changed.Then there are those

whose spouses comehome seriously woundedwho quit their jobs tobecome round-the-clock

caregivers, doing theirbest to make the personthey love whole again.

Over the years,as I've listened to

these stories, I'veasked myself overand over again.How is it possiblethat so many of usknow so little about

the challenges

these families face?

The answer is simple:military families don'tcomplain. They're proudof their service and more

than willing to make thesacrifices that come with

it. And no matter how

tough it gets, becausethey're so strong andresilient, they somehowkeep everythingtogether. They succeedin their jobs, run theirhouseholds and even

find time to serve their

communities: 81% of

military-family membersreport volunteering inthe past year, versus27% of the generalpopulation.

So ... I'm feelingtremendously thankful

for our militaryfamilies, and I hope

you'll join me inworking to servethem as well as

they've served ourcountry. Go towww.joiningforces.gov to find out how.

- ijlili

DAVID ORTIZ

2013 World Series MVPfor the Boston Red Sox

V -A

I am thankfulfor my secondhome, thecity of Boston.This has beena difficult yearfor Boston,with the tragicbombings atthe marathon.However,this city hasbounced backstronger thanever, and Iam thankfulfor all thepolicemen,firemen andemergencyworkers who

have shownthe strengthof our city.I love thiscity and amhonored thatI can callit home.

TIME December 9, 2013

Briefing

ASTRONAUTS MIKE HOPKINS AND RICK MASTRACCHIOCurrentlyaboard the International Space Station on their first andfourth missions for NASA, respectively

'Wearethankful for the privilege offlyingaboard the spacestation, an incrediblevehiclebuilt by tens of thousands ofAmericans, as wellas people from Russia, Europe, Japan and Canada.This multinational effort to operate the mostcomplex facility ever sent into orbitis trulyoneofthe most amazingaccomplishments inthe history ofmankind.'

MARK KIRK

Junior U.S. Senator from

iiiinois

I am thankful for the more

than 300,000physical andoccupational therapists inthe U.S. If it weren't formyPTs and OTs, I could neverhave returned to the Senate

after I suffered a massive

stroke in 2012.

Mystroke left me nearlyparalyzed on the left side ofmy body.Even sittingupright was almostimpossible.Lessthan a yearafter my stroke, I walkedup the 45steps of the U.S.Capitol and returned to theSenate. About 800,000Americans have a stroke

each year. Access torehabilitation providedbyPTs and OTs makes a life-

changing difference forcountless Americans, andit did for this Senator.

RICK WARREN

Pastor of Saddleback Church and author of 10

books, including The Purpose Driven Life

This year becamethe worst year ofmy life when myyoungest son,who'd struggledsince childhood

with mental

illness, took hisown life. How am

Isupposed to bethankful?

God doesn't

expect me to bethankful FOR ail

circumstance,but IN all

circumstances.

There's a hugedifference. The

first attitude is

masochism. The

second shows

maturity. We're notsupposed to bethankful for evil or

sin, or the innocentsuffering caused bythese things. Buteven in heartache

and grief there arestill good thingsthat I can be

thankful for.

I'm thankful that

God sees all 1gothrough. He cares.He grieves withme. I'm thankful

that even thoughI don't have all

the answers, Goddoes. I'm thankful

that God can bringgood even out ofthe bad in my life,when Igive him .the pieces^. It's hjs..

"specialty. God lovesto turn crucifixions

into resurrections,and then benefit

the whole world.

God never wastes

a hurt ifwe give itto him.

CHARMAINEYOEST

CEO of Americans United

for Life and a co-author

of Mother in the Middle

I'm thankful for

the unplanned, theunexpected, therevelations that make upan authentic life.

A chance encounter

with an old friend on the

street led to a job I love.I cried from loneliness

on the way homefrom the event where,unknowingly, I met myhusband. Even in that

brief moment of despair,my future was unfolding.Life Is like that.

I could not even have

envisioned the adventure

of parenting fiveendlessly fascinating,and frustrating, children.They are, of course,perfect, albeit messy.Five new narratives, eachone a cliff-hanger I wouldgive a whole life to read.

I surely wouldn't havechosen cancer for me or

my husband. But throughsickness and sorrow, Ifound healing, unknownfriendships and love.

Life is not perfect. Butit Is lovely. I do not havewhat I planned. But Ihave immeasurably morethan I could have asked

for or imagined. For that,I'm thankful.

JOHN BOEHNER

Speaker of the Houseof Representatives

That I, theson of abartender,have beengiven thechance tocontributeto thiswork in thecity thatWashingtonbuilt issomethingfor whichI am foreverthankful.' CHELSEA MANNING

Formerly Private Bradley Manning, serving 35 years for leaking classified documents

'I'm thankful forpeople who ... dare toask probing, evendangerous, questions.'

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