To Tell The Truth…Thanks to God, I made 83

As you read this week’s column I am celebrating my 83rd birthday on Nov. 26, 2014. I am not only thankful for that milestone, but a number of other blessings.
As an early stage of my life my wonderful parents instilled in our family that richness is a state of mind, not a state of being. We were raised to understand that materialism was secondary to family, friends, health and happiness. We as a family were introduced to church and God as infants and have remained an active member of a church family, New Destiny Christian Methodist Episcopal Church.
I am thankful that over the years I have truly been able to profess to the world that there are those I can honestly and truly call them friends. I am thankful that I was raised during a period of time that neighbors and friends were one and the same—no houses in the community had locks on the doors, no persons went hungry, were naked or cold. The majority did not have high paying or responsible jobs, but they followed God’s greatest commandment, which is love. If a neighbor had any of the above problems the others would move to address and solve them.