So, it's the season to be grateful, to count blessings, to take a look at the year that's nearly done.
In the Sun Valley area, blessings are everywhere, too often unrecognized because they are so close or familiar.
Here's a kick-start for a holiday list of the common and uncommon for which everyone in the area can be grateful:
n Generosity shown by valley people when disaster strikes others in the community. People engulfed by catastrophic illness are the beneficiaries of extraordinary fundraisers organized by friends and neighbors. One recent example was when the community rallied to raise money to help return the bodies of three victims killed in a highway accident to their home country of Peru and to the families that mourned their loss.
n Generosity of voters who approved a school levy to take care of buildings in order to keep other monies flowing for topnotch instruction in Blaine County's public schools. They understood that cheating the future of well-educated students could only make matters worse as the world tries to dig out of the worst recession since the Great Depression.
n The magnetic draw of the area's outdoor spaces that lure residents to log off, unwire and unwind each day in the marvels of nature. The Sun Valley area nurtures the physical and mental health of everyone, rich or poor. All they must do is step outside their door, take a walk and look around.
n Sun Valley owners Earl and Carol Holding, who graciously continue to invest millions of dollars in an area they clearly love, much to the benefit of the community and the local economy. The list of legacy developments—the Sun Valley Pavilion, new golf course, new clubhouse, new gondola—gets longer every year.
n The valley's unsung event organizers and volunteers. The valley feasts on a heaving table of festivals, lectures, seminars, performances, fundraisers and films every year. None of them would have a chance of succeeding without the help of legions of volunteers who give their time as their contribution to a better community.
n Local people willing to step up, run and hold public office even knowing that public service is no cakewalk, especially in these difficult times. The area would be unspeakably different without their good sense and determined leadership.
n Everyone who lives here seeking a life connected not only to the outdoors, but to others striving to create extraordinary communities in which to live, learn and grow. They are good neighbors.
n Optimists in the area who teach by demonstrating that with thought, planning and effort, people can make every day a day for which to be thankful.
