In the spirit of gratitude as we look forward to Thanksgiving, here’s a popular post on giving back, first published in 2009, by author Cinthia Ritchie.

Growing up, I read all the time. I read while riding my horse and when I was supposed to be feeding the calves. I read during baling harvest and on the long bus rides to and from school. What I remember more than those books, however, is the first time I connected with an author. I was eight-years-old and sitting in a poplar tree reading My Friend Flicka when suddenly it hit me: Mary O’Hara struggled with the same feelings as I did.

For years I wanted to write her a letter, but I never did. Unfortunately, that pattern stuck and throughout the next 30 odd years, I read books that caused me to laugh, moved me to tears and even scorched pieces of my soul, and all the while I wanted to pick up the phone, call the author and say, “Hey, listen, are you free for lunch next Tuesday?”

Read the rest here on the 49 Writers blog.