We asked our readers what they were grateful for this year. Here’s what they said.
I am so grateful for all that makes Harpswell what it is — the unique qualities of this place — and that so many recognize how critical it is to protect Harpswell’s heritage, tradition and culture, even as changes come our way. I’m thankful for the hundreds of people who volunteer on town committees and town-based organizations; who serve as “electeds,” who work for our town in so many capacities, both paid and unpaid. But most of all, I’m grateful that this is a place where so many care about their neighbors and their community, and are committed to creatively and sincerely helping out in good times and bad.
– Jay McCreight
I am grateful for Harpswell’s islands and time-worn ledges, shaped by ice and tide, and for the spruce that root themselves in our thin soils — and for the Maine Island Trail Association, whose thoughtful care invites us to share and enjoy islands with respect and gratitude.
– Alicia, Quahog Bay
I’m thankful for living in Harpswell and my wonderful neighbors.
– Pat
I want to sincerely thank the emergency medical service and its volunteers when they were there for me on a Sunday morning in July.
– Dennis Wilkins, Bailey Island
I am grateful for the grace of blended families … for adults who always listen first for the needs of the children, creating space for these little people to be whoever they are (happy, sad, determined, unsure, frustrated, exuberant) so they grow up always knowing that they are loved and cherished, no matter where they lay their heads at night.
– Jane, Orr’s Island
I’m grateful for family and living in such a beautiful town.
– Helen
I am thankful to have had Pat Moody in my life. From kindergarten at the West Harpswell School to the present, she was the very best teacher and friend. She will be greatly missed.
– A reader from Harpswell Neck
We are grateful to everyone at the Salt Cod Cafe and to our Harpswell neighbors for supporting Maine-made art. We are creatively growing because of you. Thank you.
– Pinecone Studio
To our Harpswell friends who butter our bread, sip our soups, and sweeten our days — thank you! Your visits bring sunshine, even on the foggiest coastal mornings.
– The Wild Oats Crew
Free ocean sunsets, beauty at every turn and a community filled with people who care. I am thankful for the town of Harpswell and the way it has welcomed me and allowed me to make Harpswell my home.
– Mark W.
I’m grateful for our unique, open-minded community that supports the sharing of ideas and dialogue.
– A reader from Harpswell Neck
I’m thankful for the kind and committed help of neighbors near and far when the horses who live in our back yard made a break for it last spring. After a nightlong spree along Harpswell Neck, your assistance helped us to bring them home unscathed (aside from the citation they earned for being a general nuisance).
– Kara Douglas
I’m thankful to be living in such a beautiful place with great role models of how to grow older gracefully.
– A grateful Great Islander
I am grateful for being part of this wonderful community!
– Lucy
I am thankful for the never-ending beauty of our coastal scenery and spectacular sunsets in Harpswell!
– Mary Robinson
I am thankful to call Maine my home.
– Val Upham
In spite of an injury-plagued year, I’m grateful for the help and support of many, especially Jeanie.
– John
Having just hit 75, I am grateful for good health, not just for me, but for my friends and family. I am also thankful that I can enjoy the beauty and peace of this corner of the Earth to give me respite from the crazy chaos in which we are currently living.
– Ellen
I’m grateful for wonderful friends and to be able to live in such a beautiful place as Harpswell. My wife and I often pinch ourselves and say, “Can you believe we live here?”
– Mr. Stein
I am thankful for kind neighbors, beautiful hikes, adorable dogs, and the delighted shrieks of children as they run their Mitchell Field cross-country race. Harpswell is such a wonderful place to live!
– Marshall, Harpswell
I am deeply grateful to the staff members of the Harpswell Anchor, who work tirelessly to cover the complex issues confronting our town while also capturing the spirit of the people who live here and make the place so special. Every community in Maine should be so lucky.
– Doug Warren, Vice President, Harpswell News Board of Directors
I’m grateful to call Harpswell my retirement home — a place of beauty and community, and the people are filled with kindness. Each day here is a reminder of how lucky we are to belong to such a caring place.
– Susan H.
We are grateful that we got to explore the wonders of Acadia this year.
– J. and J.
When I approach Harpswell, my shoulders immediately relax. I thrill to the lobstermen going out early in the morning, their diesel engines rumbling, boat lights sliding across my room. I’m grateful for the quiet, for the dark skies, for the stars, for my neighbors, friends, community, my husband who made this all possible 30-something years ago, breakfast at the Driftwood Inn yesterday with the ocean in turmoil, the farmers, fishermen and cooks offering the best food ever so even I can make a tasty dinner. Thank you!
– Margaret
I will be 84 in two months. I am grateful when I can get out of bed every morning.
– Mose
I am grateful for old friends, new friends, libraries, farmers markets, seasons, fresh seafood, music, paths to the ocean, family …
– L.R., Harpswell Neck
I’m really thankful for the beautiful weather we’ve been having, although I do wish it would rain!
– Paul
I appreciate all the Harpswell volunteers who do so much to make this a special place.
– Ted Merriman
I am grateful that Jesus Christ saved my soul.
– Anonymous
I am grateful for family, friends, neighbors and acquaintances. I am particularly grateful for all of the volunteers who provide services in our community for the people of our community and surrounding areas. These include fire, emergency medical services, police, news, literacy, help for older folks, housing, open lands and trails, heating assistance, maintenance of historic buildings, benefits for residents’ loss and health, and so much more. This town is full of generous, wonderful volunteers!
– Gayle H.
I am thankful for Donnette at the Transfer Station.
– A.S.K.
I am grateful for my health, my friends and living on this beautiful planet. I am also grateful for the freedom of living in our democracy in the United States.
– Anonymous
I am thankful that I live in a community with such a deep history: the multigenerational families, the working waterfront, the historic houses, churches and cemeteries. I love seeing lobster traps on lawns and hearing the sounds of boats early in the morning. Even though I’m new to town, I’m proud to live amidst such a beautiful heritage.
– A new resident “from away”
I am grateful that I live in Harpswell and I am grateful again for all the beauty of this special place.
– Linda
I am lucky enough to visit folks in their homes for Harpswell Aging at Home. I feel fortunate to meet new people and listen as they open their homes and share their lives with me. To a person they are grateful for HAH, and I am grateful for them!
– Anonymous
I’m grateful for my local swimming group. We now have about 132 people who keep showing up, meeting each other where they are. We all leave feeling great.
– B.A.A.
I’m happy that I was able to work for USAID.
– Rusty
I am grateful beyond measure for all the love and kindness I have received from my community here in Harpswell in these past six months since my husband died. It started with prayer and food, and then came the wonderful cards and letters, but it has continued with square dancing and dinner parties and Bible study and HAH folks coming over to make my doors open and close, and then a friend who took me to the Midcoast Humane Society, where I found a wonderful kitten who fills my days with joy. Dear neighbors and friends, I feel God’s love through you.
– A grateful widow, Elizabeth Davis
I’m grateful for my grandkids.
– Anonymous
I am thankful for the beauty of nature, my family, friends and community.
– A friend
We are grateful for this beautiful fall on the coast of Maine! We have enjoyed long walks through the woods with our dog, taking pictures of the light coming through the bright yellow leaves, of the brilliant orange sumac, of sparkling blue water, of the marsh grass turning yellow-green then brown. How lucky we are to witness nature doing its thing, carrying on, as the world swirls in more chaos than usual all around us.
– Karen Levine Egee
I love living in such a beautiful spot with great people.
– Rocco
My wife and I are grateful for a lively, loving circle of friends who meet regularly on the beautiful new HNPEA courts in Harpswell and the busy Pegasus courts at Brunswick Landing to play pickleball. What an uproar! They’re real lifesavers as we age — for heartfelt fun, vigorous exercise, laughter, year-round outdoor play under the sun and sky, skill building, community and social exchange. Thank you!
– George Simonson, Harpswell
I am thankful for my grandbaby, my dog and my family.
– George
I am grateful for the birds that greet me in the morning with song, the beautiful flowers in my garden that bring me smiles, and the spectacular sunsets in the evening. The beauty of nature, even during a storm, cannot be underestimated. Sometimes one just needs to take a second to stop and appreciate it!
– Linda M.
I am enormously grateful for the thousands of readers, donors, volunteers, advertisers and sponsors who make the Harpswell Anchor possible. Whenever other towns ask us about our “secret sauce,” we always respond the same way: It’s our community. The support we receive — whether it’s time, treasure or talent — is the reason we can continue to provide free, local, nonpartisan and accurate news to everyone in Harpswell. This is truly something to celebrate during this Thanksgiving season. Thank you!
– Janice Thompson, Founder, Harpswell News, the nonprofit publisher of the Harpswell Anchor newspaper
