I asked my family what they’re thankful for this year, and these are their responses. Our daughter, Kristie, who is less than a month shy of her fifth birthday said, “My life, my heart, God/Buddha, grapes, family wishes, rainbows, for my parents, for my daddy reading books, for my parents loving me, for praying for Buddha, for a flower because when you smell it — it smells beautiful and for my parents who love each other.”

Our 7-year-old, Kevin said, “Mommy and Daddy, family, Kristie, peace, veterans who fought for our country, school – I have lots of friends there, trees – they give us oxygen, strawberries, food, drink, honor – like you honor your parents, Mommy, Daddy and Kristie, grandparents, no pollution and beautiful skies.”

My wife, Quyen, who doesn’t want me to convey how old she is said, “My parents for giving me life, my mother-in-law for raising a good son and giving me a good husband, my husband – the best in the world — for taking care of our family, my husband for giving me two beautiful and smart children and America for accepting me and my family and giving us the chance to live in the U.S.”

I’m so lucky to share my life with Quyen — the most wonderful and caring wife in the world; I’m thankful for Kevin and Kristie for their joy, happiness, laughter and love, for my home that keeps us warm and out of the rain, the opportunity to write, Jim and Carol for supporting me and my mom for giving me life.

I’m also grateful for the opportunity to volunteer with Quyen at St. Vincent De Paul this year, for the over 900 meals we helped to serve at lunch the day before Thanksgiving, for the homeless who expressed their gratitude to my wife and me, for the kind woman named Yoly who came to volunteer with her two teenaged sons and assisted us at our table whenever she had a spare moment from hers and Father Joe Carroll and all the dedicated staff at St. Vincent for giving us a chance to contribute to the community.

Columnist Ray Wong is a San Diego-based writer. E-mail comments to [email protected].