Editorial: Many reasons to be thankful during holidays

For most of 2009, we’ve been inundated with troubling circumstances. People have lost their jobs. Families have lost their homes. The nation has been in an economic downturn the likes of which we haven’t seen since the Great Depression.

And we continue to hear stories that make us cringe.

The state Legislature, which faced a $9.3 billion revenue shortfall when it met last January, originally fixed the problem by cutting nearly everything in sight, including badly needed health care and public education dollars. Now, because of a heavy case load — the state unemployment rate for October was 9.3 percent — the state is facing another projected shortfall of $2 billion to $2.5 billion.

Pierce County has had to trim about $3 million from its 2010 budget, and more than half will come from the Planning and Land Services Department.

Closer to home, Gig Harbor residents will feel the crunch in each of the next three years with higher utility bills, and — at least in 2010 — they’ll have no city-funded arts programs.

Christmas shopping will be tighter for families this year, which will have another big impact on retailers. Small business owners who are afraid for their livelihoods are attempting a pre-emptive strike by encouraging folks to shop locally.

Combine these issues with some of the general ones we’re all facing — not enough paycheck, too many bills — and it’s easy to come to the conclusion that we simply must change the way we live our everyday lives. Even that daily stop at the specialty coffee shop or espresso stand has had to take a back seat for gas in the tank or food on the dinner table.

But is luxury something we need, or is it something we aspire to obtain?

For one thing, cuts in government aren’t always a bad thing. In fact, they’re cyclical. Government grows during good times: When people spend money, tax revenues naturally increase, and that allows for more state- , county- or city-provided services. Government also shrinks during lean times: When tax revenue is short, priorities must be made and cuts must occur in order to stay balanced.

Yes, we’re leaner than we’ve been in a number of decades — and it hurts when good people lose good jobs — but it helps us readjust how to live within our means. The shadow cast on us all in 2009 may take a number of years to fade, but we have an abundance of faith that we will rebound and grow ever stronger because of the adversity we are facing.

We have countless reasons to be thankful during this holiday season:

We live in a country where we have the right to vote to settle political disputes rather than through the use of physical force. We go to bed at night knowing we are safe because of the men and women of our military who give selflessly to protect our freedom. We can speak our minds, challenge the government and worship the way we choose. We have people in our own community who volunteer to help others, whether it’s pulling together donations for food banks, building homes or mentoring in schools or churches.

Those are things we can count on every day.

As we sit down to a wonderfully prepared Thanksgiving dinner this week, we should keep both our struggles and our triumphs in perspective. Because in order to move forward, we need to understand, and appreciate, where we’ve been.