Minnesotans spread feelings of gratitude this Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is sometimes the only time a year when we talk about what — and who — we're grateful for.

In the interest to spreading those feelings of gratitude we asked our audience to tell us about one thing that happened to them recently that they are thankful for. MPR News’ Emily Bright also visited the Rondo Library in St. Paul recently to ask folks in person.

Between library patrons and students at the after school homework help center, adults and children alike were grateful for many things this year.

“I’m really grateful for my family. I still have my mom around. I have my step dad around. I know a lot of people don’t have family around at this time, so I’m very grateful and thankful for my family.” — Alexis

“I have a good partner who appreciates me and who I appreciate.” — Eric

“I'm actually going back into recovery. I'm an alcoholic and I got it. I have over a week of sobriety and I have a long road of my alcoholism behind me and a long road of goodness ahead of me. So I'm really excited.” — Sarah

“I'm grateful for my parents and my family and food. I love food, bro. If we didn’t have food, we would have never survived.” — Sophia

“I'm very thankful I have a grandson and he'll be in town for Thanksgiving. He's about 1 year, 4 months.” — Chuck

“For being alive.” — Little D.

“I’m grateful for getting a phone.” — Mohamed

“Winter break is coming. And Thanksgiving.” — Abdirahman

“One thing I’m thankful for is that my mom came to me in a different country and brought me back to America.” — Sabreen

“I'm a creative writing major and I wrote my first short story this semester and I finished it and it was the proper amount of pages. So that was kind of a big deal. So I tend to be an over-writer.” — A.J.

“I’m thankful for my life and for what I have, and I hope your life is good too.” — Afnan

“I'm grateful for my mom. And she's an amazing cook. It’s really good to have her in my life. She's funny. She's you know, she's a really cool person.” — Mohamed

“I joined basketball.” — Samiya

“I am in a dance group at my school. And last year I chose not to do the performances. I only went to practices. But this year I'd made it myself. I decide to perform. And it's been a really good experience. And I really enjoy kind of like sharing that with other people.” — Margaret

“After twenty years of drinking I'm thankful for my sobriety and being able to enjoy my family, buy a house and the truck I always dreamed of having. Never could have done it drinking.” — Ben

“I got a new start and I’m really hopeful for the future.” — Noelle

“I am a nurse and I don’t have family to gather with on Thanksgiving day; my son spends the day with his father. So I chose to work on Thanksgiving; it fills my day with useful activity and I thank the Lord for being able to do it (I am 76).” — Regina

“I am so grateful that my sister and I have become closer friends this year — overcoming the loss of two pets together; coordinating my ‘ramshackle’ (her word) 30th birthday ‘wine and paint’ party together and attending a ridiculous cookie making class from which we learned only that pizzelles are a pain in the butt to make.” — Julie

“Having an amazing husband who took care of my stubborn, independent self with my ankle surgery/recovery and being hospitalized for pneumonia.” — Charlene

“My new niece coming, a true miracle.” — Nicole

“Family and friends and the fact my wife and I are still living. We lost too many friends and one family member this year. At our age, it is a funeral every month.” — Tom

“Bees visited my wildflowers and monarchs visited my milkweeds. Ospreys fished on my lake. My blue herons returned as they always do.” — David

“That I made it to 65 with my work ethic intact.” — Clare

“My wonderful 86-year-old mother. She is a kind, loving and generous person. My mother is beloved by everyone! I'm so grateful for her love and support. She's my hero.” — Kimberly

“I am thankful for the love and support I've received from friends and family after my recent diagnosis of breast cancer. They are telling me that I am a strong woman, and that I can do those 16 chemo treatments!” — Roxanne

“As a child-care volunteer at Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery, I'm grateful that I can join with the kids in experiencing such a variety of emotions. Little kids have big, vivid feelings that make my own life seem pale by comparison. There's the tender vulnerability that softly nestles into me while falling asleep or waking back up. There's the joyful exuberance that cries out for me to chase them or play catch or even just look — look at what they are doing, but also look at the plane in the sky! There's the clingy insecurity that needs a reassuring hug and the knowledge that I'll stay close, so they can come back for another. There's that moment when a long-simmering resentment at the world's unfairness gets pushed over the edge by a momentary frustration, yielding howling outrage— and the need for some calm acceptance. Kids trust me to be with them through all of this, and I recognize that as a great privilege.” — Max

“I'm grateful for good friends and family, people who help shovel heavy snow!” — Clara

“I recently experienced a death in my family. As we gathered for the service I looked around at this huge, crazy, diverse group of people and realized how very grateful I am they are my people. We don’t always agree, we argue and bicker sometimes but we put all of it aside and stand strong together. For that, I will be forever grateful.” — Barbara

“My husband started to look for a job this week. A couple months ago he lost his job on a logging crew, that business failing financially. This comes just over a year from when he lost his 30 year job on a logging crew, that business failing financially. He has been knocked to his knees, depressed, and frozen. There were days I was afraid to leave him alone to go to my own job. He is starting to look better. He hasn't found a new logging crew to work with yet, but he is starting to approach people about this work. I am grateful he is putting one foot in front of the next.” — Kelly

“My husband suffered a serious ruptured brain aneurism in August. Most people with this level of rupture don’t make it, but his recovery is a miracle. I am so grateful.” — Mitzi

“Pedicures on a snowy afternoon with my best friend.” — Carrie

What are your grateful for? Submit your own story here! We’ll keep updating this feature throughout the holiday weekend.

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