the BEACON Newspaper, Indiana beacon12-18 | Page 11

December 2018 THE BEACON Page 11A Freedom- A Reason to Give Thanks By Mary-Alice Helms Norman Rockwell always has been one of my favorite artists. I love how the people he painted were just like the people we knew. I remember seeing the Saturday Evening Post covers when I was a kid and imagining myself as being a part of the scene. In 1943, when I was eight years old, Mr. Rockwell painted a series of covers, titled “The Four Freedoms,” which I es- pecially liked. The paintings, as always, were of ordinary people doing ordinary things. They were designed to rep- resent the freedoms that our country cherish: The Freedom of Speech, Freedom from Fear, Freedom from Want and the Freedom to Worship. My favorite of the four pictures was “The Freedom from Want.” It is a simple paint- ing of a grandmother and her young grandson seated at a table in a restaurant, across from two youthful-looking working men. The Grand- mother and the boy have their heads bowed and their M DEAR, ARIE By Marie Segale [email protected] Dear Marie, My husband and I are new retirees. His brother and his wife are also newly retired. They decided to move back home from the big expensive city where they have been liv- ing for their entire careers and raised their own families. All of their adult children are staying in that city where they grew up and are raising their fami- lies. So they really don’t have any family here except for my husband and me. They bought a condo not too far from ours and are using our mailing ad- dress to ease the transition until they move into it. So we have had them “pop in” on us quite often. They say they want to see if they have mail but spend hours hanging out. Recently the situation became very un- comfortable for me. I had gotten home from working out and decided to start a pot of soup before I showered. hands folded in prayer, while the two young men look on in amazement. Reading their expressions is hard. They look confused, but are they remembering their own youth when they might have been taught to give thanks for what they have been given? Do they feel guilty for not bowing their heads, also, or are they embarrassed for that little boy with the bad home haircut? I wondered what I would have done, had I been in that restaurant with either of my grandmothers. I felt that they, too, would have given thanks for not being “in want.” What would I have done? Would my face have flushed with embarrassment or would I have looked on in derision? I hoped that I would not have done either of those things. I hoped I could have expressed my thanks, too. A prayer of gratitude will be, as always, an important part of our Thanksgiving this year. We will be dining at the home of one of my daughters. And, as always, the table will be groan- ing under its load of food. There will be twenty-three or twenty-four of us, repre- senting four generations, in- cluding a great-grandmoth- er, grandparents, grandkids, boyfriends, girlfriends and a fiancée. How blest we are! I know that I will remem- ber those Norman Rockwell paintings Thanksgiving Day. It might be in the middle of passing the gravy or maybe just before asking what kind of pie everyone wants. But, I will remember the people all over the world who don’t have the freedoms we enjoy. In the midst of the laughing, teasing and joking going around the table, I will say a silent prayer for those who are hungry, those who live in fear, the ones who are not allowed to express their reli- gious beliefs or who cannot speak out against tyranny. I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving, and may we all be reminded to truly give thanks! The doorbell rang, and they were at the door. I was just not in a position to receive company. I was thinking that I would let my husband deal with his brother, and went back to the kitchen to finish putting my ingredients in the soup pot. When I finished, I went to take my shower. Can you believe when I finished they were still there? I think it is up to my husband to deal with his brother. Marie, how should we handle this uncom- fortable situation? Uncomfortable in Bright have gone. Our society as a whole has become so self- absorbed and think nothing of “putting someone out” for one’s own convenience. This applies to so many situations. Clearly, it is up to your hus- band to talk to his brother to explain to him that he would appreciate a phone call to see if you are home and if stop- ping by is okay. He could be very blunt if necessary and say “pop in” company makes you both feel very uncomfort- able, and you would prefer to be prepared when company is coming over. Dear Uncomfortable, I hear about this problem from so many people, and I wonder where our manners 8 5 8 1 1 9 7 4 1 6 2 4 4 7 3 4 8 6 3 8 1 6 9 7 7 5 9 5 7 1 4 9 9 6 Sudoku Sudoku is a logical puzzle game that may seem difficult at first glance, but actually it is not as hard as it looks! Fill a number in to every cell in the grid, using the numbers 1 to 9. You can only use each number once in each row, each column, and in each of the 3×3 boxes. The solution can be found on our website www.goBEACONnews.com/print_edition. Click on the link for Sudoku and view the solution for this month and last. Good luck and have fun! Have a pressing issue? Contact Marie@GOBEA- CONnews.com Casey’s Holiday Open House Friday, Nov. 23rd 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 24th 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 25th 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sales & Giveaways All 3 Days! Holiday Décor & Unique Gifts Fun Workshops & Kid’s Activities Complimentary Hot Chocolate Bar Holiday Portraits 12:00-2:00 On Sat. Pictures With Santa 2:00-5:00 On Sat. For Additional Information & Workshop Registration Visit CaseysOutdoor.com/events 812-537-3800 • CaseysOutdoor.com • 21481 State Line Rd. Lawrenceburg, IN SHOP LOCAL and tell our advertisers you saw their ads in The BEACON!