November also, for me,  a month for expressing thanks, gratitude and appreciation to the dozens of people who make life more convenient and pleasant. This the season to acknowledge services provided for us by our pet groomers, vets, sanitation workers, Wal-Mart Associates, and others who benefit our daily lives.

November is the special season identified as “Thanks and  Giving: A Season of Hope” sponsored by the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. November heralds the beginning of the holiday season, but also the start of a campaign that creates extraordinary awareness for the work of St. Jude.

Thanks and Giving is an annual fund raiser for this distinctive research hospital. Its mission is to give medical care to children with unusual and life-threatening diseases and injuries. The St. Jude message of hope, Thanks and Giving, gives us the opportunity for expressing our inner desire to help disenfranchised children. The objective of this seasonal fundraiser is to “give thanks for the healthy kids in your life  and give to those who are not.” This is a way to express the seasonal message of hope, peace and love by helping financially the patients and their families at St. Jude.

St. Jude is the epicenter of productive cancer research. Its staff includes the most knowledgeable and compassionate scientists and doctors in the world, dedicated to eradicating sickle cell disease, infectious diseases and genetic disorders in children of all ages.

For the next 40 days ponder on how to participate in Thanks and Giving. Our contribution will have an immeasurable benefit to children being treated and to their families.

How can you help? Look for the Thanks and Giving magnifying glass this holiday season wherever you shop. For more information on this redeeming program, visit www.stjude.org; details at this site will tell you how you can donate for the welfare of children.