Today’s Sound Off is about gratitude:

Dear Heloise: I’m 94 years old today, and in my lifetime, I’ve seen so many changes come about regarding the way we live. The average income per household of those lucky enough to have a job was about $3,600 to $4,000 per year. It was the beginning of the Great Depression.

Today, of course, things are more expensive, people have more “stuff,” and technology seems to be taking over. This worries me. During the Depression, we had very little, but had family and friends who stuck by us through thick and thin.

It was an honor to graduate from high school because so many kids had to quit school and find a job to help financially support the family. If your aunt knitted a sweater for you as a Christmas gift, you wore it proudly. It might be the only new piece of clothing you got all year. You ate whatever was placed on your plate and felt grateful for it.

Sadly, I don’t see this kind of gratitude in people today. We (myself included) take so much for granted. Very few people today in this country know what real hardship is because there are so many programs available to help people. If you want an education, you can get one. You can always better your standard of living. And yet, I hear people whining about what they don’t have. Americans have much to be grateful for.

Has anyone bombed your home? Is your family scattered all over the country trying to survive enemy artillery? Have you gone three or four days without a morsel of food? Are your children missing? For thousands of families in other countries, these are the realities that they must live with every day.

As we start a new year, let’s remember what we have, not what we don’t and show some appreciation for our good fortune. Let’s pull together and heal the division between us. We’re all neighbors, and we need each other. — Stanley T., in Ohio

LEFTOVER WRAPPING PAPER

As we get presents ready for Christmas and other holidays, we often get stuck with a bunch of leftover wrapping paper. Here’s what to do with it after the holidays have passed:

— Line drawers or shelvest.

— Use it to make homemade cards.

— Try your hand at origami.

— Using a paper shredder, make colorful strips of paper for packing items that you plan to ship.

— Make paper ornaments for your Christmas tree next year.

AVOIDING HOME INVASIONS

Dear Heloise: Since I graduated from the police academy, I can tell you that we’ve seen more home invasions now than ever before. However, there are some things that will help deter thieves from entering your home. Just follow these three easy steps:

1. Have alarm signs on your windows and doors, especially your sliding doors. You can get them on Amazon, even if you don’t actually have an alarm. Most thieves will think twice about entering a home that might have an alarm system.

2. Put a large dog bowl of water near your back door. The last thing a burglar wants is to tangle with a dog that might attack.

3. Use motion detector lights around your yard and near all the exterior doors. It would be a good idea to use one of the newer doorbell cameras, too. — Jerome D., New York