November 11, 2022

Prayer of gratitude guides a woman’s life

By John Shaughnessy

Joanne McKinley begins every morning with this simple prayer of gratitude:

“Thank you, God, for my eyes that see. Thank you for my legs that I can take care of me. Thank you for my beating heart so filled with love. Thank you for all the blessings you have sent me from above.”

At 90, McKinley focuses on her family when she counts her blessings, starting with her parents.

Looking back to her childhood, she remembers her mother as her best friend who taught her so much about loving and caring for a family.

She recalls how her father showed his love for her by building “a whole set of furniture my size” and making a baby bed for her dolls. She also appreciated her three brothers who “were always so good to me” despite their aversion to playing dolls with her.

Then there is the family she created with her husband of 67 years, Thomas—a marriage that has led to six children, 19 grandchildren, more than 20 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

“Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to think about our many blessings,” notes McKinley, a member of St. John Paul II Parish in Sellersburg. “I sometimes think I have received more than my share. A happy family life is the greatest blessing of all for anyone.” †

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