It’s never too late to give thanks for kind deeds

This is Thanksgiving week, and as my husband and I prepare to head for Minnesota to celebrate this holiday with my sister’s family, I leave you a column filled with gratitude expressed by readers who want you to know you have made a difference in their lives.

Many of these letters were written to the Bangor Daily News some time ago, but that is one of the blessings of gratitude: It is never too late to say thank you.

For example, while next January marks the second-year anniversary of a car accident in Clifton involving her daughter, Kim Mayo of Bradley has not forgotten the man who first stopped to check on her daughter’s car and placed an emergency call.

Nor has Mayo forgotten everyone who stayed by her daughter’s side until those wonderful emergency people arrived.

The Mayos “thank you from the bottom of our hearts” for assisting their daughter that day.

Merrill “Pappy” Bradford of Bangor wants readers to know that last winter’s visit to the emergency room and subsequent stay at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, resulting in a variety of tests for a variety of conditions, proved to be “a refreshing experience.”

He was struck by the “upbeat, friendly” attitude of the staff, and wants you to know how proud he is “of this hospital in our community.”

Not once, but twice, Tom at Lawson’s Locksmithing in Brewer came to the rescue of Brigitta Jenner, and she thanks him for replacing an old camp key and adapting an old key to a new lock on her car.

Randy and Patti Way of Orrington commend Concord Bus Lines for transporting, free of charge, a spare car key to their son who had lost his keys while on a trip to see the Boston Red Sox. That good deed saved their son “hundreds of dollars,” they wrote.

The family of Lindsay Strout thanks the unknown Pittsfield gentleman who bought a car at auction, found her wallet in it, and called the family to be sure she got it back.

Laurel Harris of Milo wrote to thank everyone for the “overwhelming feeling of love and support” extended to her family when her husband died, unexpectedly, last spring.

She extends her “love to all of you in this great community for all you have done for our family.”

Jim, Bern, Andy, Lauren and Ethan Rudnicki thank the “unknown gentleman who paid for” their dinner one June night at Denny’s.

“It’s nice to know there are still people in this world doing unselfish acts of kindness,” they wrote.

Tom and Denise Davis of Acton “thank all the good Samaritans,” including John Ross and Dick Ramsey, who helped them “along the way” on a July day when their motorcycle broke down on Route 9 as they headed to Canada for a vacation.

Locks of Love certainly thanks Haley Knowles of Milo for donating 10 inches of her hair to the organization, which provides hairpieces for children suffering from long-term medical hair loss.

Kim Bagley of Machias thanks “the kind gentleman” who found her car keys and gave them to a Bangor police officer during the American Folk Festival on the Bangor Waterfront.

She also thanks the BPD for keeping her keys until she was able to retrieve them.

Richard Gammon is grateful to members of Bangor Fire Department Station 6 for saving his life, twice, when he “suffered an attack of fatal arrhythmia.”

After being transported to St. Joseph Hospital and receiving extensive treatment, “I am home now and recovering nicely,” he wrote.

“Had it not been for the actions of the men at Station 6, A Shift, I would not be here to write this letter.”

Gammon added, “There is no way to thank someone for your life, but I know I owe mine to them.”

On behalf of the Friends of Fort Knox board of directors, Leon Seymour thanks the companies and individuals “who helped make Fright at the Fort VII a success.”

With only “a scant few weeks” to plan the event, and “terrible weather, we were able to provide a scare to over 3,500 guests.”

My column returns to this section on Tuesday, Nov. 28.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; 990-8288.