Before the dishes are cleared on Thursday and the season of being thankful morphs into the season of getting more, it is fitting that we pause and think of the many ways in which we are blessed.

First, we live in a community that was minimally affected by the economic recession that hurt many parts of the country. While we did not escape the downturn, unemployment did not reach the highs here that it did in other parts of the country, and steady tax revenue are a further indication of local economic health.

But we also live in a community that was keenly aware that some among us were hurting, a community filled with people who actively sought to help others.

We think of the food ministries – those run each week by the Covington Baptist Association, by the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the First Presbyterian Church and by St. Mary’s Episcopal Church – each reaching out to those who are hungry by providing basic staples and/or hot meals. And then there are the ecumenical ministries that provide hot meals on holidays to those who are in need and those who are alone.

We think of the hundreds of children in the county for whom Christmas becomes real because people make a conscious decision to give. Community Christmas will provide basic clothes and a toy for hundreds in a few weeks, representing an outpouring of thousands of dollars by giving people.

We are thankful that we live in a community led by progressive thinkers, always looking for ways to move the community forward. Drive through any number of small towns in the South, and you will swell with pride when you consider Andalusia’s and Covington County’s successes.

We live in a community committed to keeping crime rates low, and providing adequate protection for her citizens; a community which is committed to providing opportunities for youth in the form of both good education and excellent recreational opportunities.

And we live in a place that is surrounded by the beauty of nature.

For all of these things, we all should be thankful.