So you know what I’m thankful for, but this is still a journalism blog, dammit, so here are a couple of Thanksgiving articles by my favorite columnists.
Bob Welch lives in Eugene and is the epitome of a great columnist. The man has a knack for making just about everything interesting and his Lane County Q&As can’t be beat. We also share the same mechanic. Go figure.
Anna Griffin lives in Portland with her partner and two children. I love the way she presents her logic: snarky at times, but always full of soul and passion.
These are the two columnists I’d like to model my own writing after. Enjoy!
Friends and strangers give a mother hope amid the hurt
Bob Welch | The Register Guard
About a week into the school year, students and staff at Oak Hill school in Eugene were horrified to find that the unthinkable had happened to two of their own.
Eryn and Aidan Rauscher were shot and killed by their father in a double murder-suicide. The girls’ mother, Jennifer Flannery, was beset by grief. From the very beginning, however, she never faltered in expressing her gratitude for the people who stood by her during the darkest moments of her life. Even now, Jennifer gives her thanks to the many people who took time out of their lives to help ease the pain, if only a little bit.
No whining on the yacht
Anna Griffin | The Oregonian
You’ve read the standard “there are people out there who are worse off than you” article on Thanksgiving. Here’s one that conveys the same message diving into too many cliches. There’s are plenty of things that I complain about on a regular basis. But, as Griffin, I’m also happy and healthy, if exhaustingly so. But it’s nothing compared to 99.9% of the world.
So tell me, what are you thankful for?
edercampuzano 
Those were some great articles. They definitely put a lot in perspective for me, and it’s a good thing to be reminded to do. So focusing entirely on the positive, I’m thankful for all the opportunities I get, every day: to be a better person, to become trained and educated, to follow my heart (or whatever) and not live a desperate lifestyle, and to have even the slightest positive impact on anyone.
More than the opportunities, I’m thankful for the enormous wealth of close friends and family that I have. Kind people really are uncommon, but at times it’s hard to tell because they’re almost all I know. Thanks for always being there Eder, Mario, Kyle, Katie, Johnny, Riki, Briana, Carmen—and so many more. Thanks especially to Uncle Kevin, Aunt Jeanne, and my cousin Mikaela for welcoming me here and making me part of the family, and to my mom, dad, and brother for all the help they’ve given and for always missing me.