Looking around Enumclaw it is apparent that a lot of folks are looking forward to Halloween, but I’m actually looking to a holiday that is much more meaningful to me: Thanksgiving. I’ll start by saying that I’m very thankful for The Courier-Herald and its editor Ray Miller-Still and his staff. I’m glad to have an outlet to get my views in print. And I appreciate the fact that Mr. Miller-Still airs my opinions (as well as others), not censored based on his own views. I also admire his openness to consider allowing churches to have a small space of the paper to send a message to our community, as it did prior to the COVID pandemic.

So, unlike most of the letters I’ve written before, I’m going to endeavor to keep this positive in keeping with the holiday which is motivating my message.

In an effort to reduce unnecessary repetition and to save space, suffice it to say that I’m thankful for all of the following: (Please note the blessings noted are not necessarily in an order of importance: A wife that has put up with me through thick and thin for just over 45 years; two boys, their wives and my three granddaughters as well as more extended family than I could possibly mention here; A faith that unites me with every member of the family of God; A country whose founders were God fearing and wise enough to pass the U.S. Constitution, tacking on the Bill of Rights early on; A system that allows me to vote for whom I choose to represent me and to speak directly to those elected men and women; The good fortune to live in a conservative enclave of perhaps the most liberal county in the state; Weather that brings seasonal changes, but rarely so extreme to be of any concern; A day and age with modern conveniences that make warmth in the winter and coolness in the summer attainable, along with a phone that allows me to have face chats with friends around the world, help with my spelling, my math, memory, weather forecasts and far too many other perks to mention here; The privilege of living in the middle class of a country that is so extremely affluent that most things I’m even tempted to complain about fall under the heading “first world problems”.

I could go on and on, but the rule is a 500 word max and I truly hope to give credit to the God I worship who not only created Mt. Peak, the Puget Sound, Mt. Rainier, but every other mountain, ocean, lake, field, stream, desert and hill. Indeed, my gratitude goes far further than God’s creation and the five senses He’s given me to enjoy them. By far my greatest motivation to give Him thanks and praise is found in His willingness to forgive my sin and offer me eternal life. So, for me, everyday is Thanksgiving.

Mark Akers

Enumclaw