DEAR ABBY: My mother died when I was 27. It was a very difficult time in my life – everything seemed to fall apart. I lost my job, and then my utilities were turned off. I had to take cold showers for six months.

A neighbor who knew about my situation came to my house and made me an offer. If I would take care of her children, she would make sure I had food to eat. I was surprised that someone would trust me – a young man – with her children.

I took her up on the offer, and before long I began taking care of other people’s children, too.

I have since moved 300 miles from Boise, Idaho. For more than 23 years I have made every effort to reach out to all the kind-hearted people who helped me when I was down and out. I hope they will read this:

My mother taught me that it is better to give than to receive. Without your great assistance, I don’t know what I would have done. I am very involved in my community and volunteer at the local food bank, and I help out whenever I can. I would like to thank all of you for allowing me to care for your children and for letting me be a part of your families. God bless you. You not only saved me, but also taught me by your example. – DAVE H., GRANGEVILLE, IDAHO

DEAR DAVE H.: I can’t think of a letter that would be more suitable to print on this day of Thanksgiving than the one you have written. It spotlights how important it is to be sensitive to the needs of others, and how life-changing a single gesture of kindness can be.

DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend and I recently had an argument during which he accused me of folding a bath towel incorrectly. One of us says that you should fold it in half and then in thirds. The other insists that it should be folded in half, then in half, then in half again.

How exactly should a bath towel be folded, and are there different methods to folding different-sized towels? – CAMILLE IN TEXAS

DEAR CAMILLE: Yes, there are different techniques – depending how and where the towels will be hung or stored – and they are usually based on how one’s mother folded her towels. Because your boyfriend has an issue about how you fold yours, HE should be the one folding the towels. Problem solved!

And now, Dear Readers, I will continue the tradition of repeating the Thanksgiving prayer that was penned years ago by my dear mother, Pauline Phillips. My Thanksgiving would not be complete without it:

Oh, Heavenly Father,

We thank thee for food and remember the hungry.

We thank thee for health and remember the sick.

We thank thee for friends and remember the friendless.

We thank thee for freedom and remember the enslaved.

May these remembrances stir us to service,

That thy gifts to us may be used for others. Amen.

Have a safe and happy Thankgiving, everyone!

Love, ABBY



Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Write Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.