Maybe, like Oprah, you give thanks for something every day. Or maybe, like the rest of us, you forget to remember except at this time of year.

Regardless, the day for thanksgiving approaches quickly.

And today, we'll give thanks in particular for people generous enough to let us intrude a little and find out what they're thankful for.

FRIENDS

Kole Kovac is 4 now. But a few years ago, when he was just 2, he found a steadfast friend. Friends, actually. A whole species.

Kole is thankful for giraffes.

"It's his favorite animal," says his mom, Charity.

Why?

"Because they have long, long necks," Kole says.

The friendship began when Kole saw the movie "The Wild," where a pack of animals from a New York zoo trek to Africa to rescue a friend. One of them was a giraffe named Bridget.

Now, Kole has quite a collection of giraffes in his room. And this summer for his birthday, he and his family went to the zoo in Springfield, Mo., so Kole could feed real giraffes.

He'll have lots more friends in his life, and the teenage ones might even be considered animals. But as his first friend, Kole chose a giraffe.

And at home, in his room, sits a giant, stuffed one named Bridget.

LIFE

In his lifetime, Harold Foster has loved.

His wife died nine years ago. He still misses her.

He has worked.

He retired from Goetz Brewery after doing a little bit of everything.

"Mostly made beer."

He has family - one son - who lives in Plattsburg, Mo., and sees him about once a week.

Mr. Foster has friends.

He lives alone, but takes a friend out to lunch each day, he says while sitting on a bench at the mall. He'd just delivered some apples and oranges to the people at the eye doctor for being so good to him.

And he has his health.

"Doctor said I was perfect," Mr. Foster says, laughing. "That sounded good."

So what is he thankful for?

"I'm 92," says Mr. Foster.

"I'm thankful to be alive."

LOVE

(Or the possibility

of it, anyway)

At first, Justin Haas says he's thankful for family.

Really, nothing else?

Finally, he relents.

"Missy," he says.

Is that his girlfriend?

"Well, I want her to be, but she doesn't want a boyfriend right now."

Justin met Missy at a party earlier this year, and the Missouri Western State University students ended up hanging out after that.

So what does he like about her?

Justin thinks for a moment, knowing his answer will show up in print, perhaps.

She always has his back, Justin says, "no matter what."

So, of course, we had to call Missy.

"Awww," she says when told Justin's answer.

It's true, she says, they are friends.

Anything in the future, then?

"We'll just see how it goes," she says.

And for now, Justin's thankful for that.