EDITORIAL: Thankful for a juicebox full of joy

We pause from the shooting, the shouting, the crying and the suffering for just five minutes to bring you this.

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Grandparenting is the top prize for not dying young.

Among countless blessings served up to grandparents on silver platters lovingly spattered with toddler slobber are songs, sweet songs kindly meant to give grandparents a breather from the perpetual motion miracles they’re babysitting.

While the whippersnappers are enthralled, the lyrics can also deliver mental manna to the wrinkled warriors. Certain songs seem to arrive just when gramps or granny can use them most.

A pair of proud grandparents shared one of those discoveries, which as luck would have it can be traced to local roots. The grandfolks found “Thankful” on a channel called Super Simple Songs, the creation of Devon Thagard, whose mom, Shirley, was a longtime Kootenai County resident.

Especially suitable for a Sunday, let these lyrics sink in. Don’t be the least bit embarrassed to tell your friends the artist that impressed you deeply is The Juicebox Jukebox. 

THANKFUL

Everybody gets a heart

Everybody gets a soul

Everybody gets a mind

To let them know

That we can be smart

And we can be kind

And we can be living by giving and loving all the time

So on the days when it's feeling tough

And it seems like you don't have enough, well

Let's be thankful for our friends and family

And grateful for the air that we breathe

And appreciate everything that we have today (hey)

Let's be generous to anyone who has less than us

It's good to be compassionate

'Cause ever since the day you were born, yeah

You've got a lot to be thankful for

Yeah, we've got a lot to be thankful for

Everybody gets the land

And everybody gets a seed

So everybody lend a hand

To those in need

'Cause we can be nice (we can be nice)

We can all share

And we can keep growing together

It's better when everyone cares.