In the midst of school and other closings during the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, that began in August, the Ferguson Municipal Library has chosen to remain open.

Library officials decided that the community needed a safe space for children and others. Retired teachers and volunteers even teach classes.

Mary Elizabeth Williams wrote about the Ferguson library in Salon.com and commented: What libraries do “is to create a safe and welcoming space, where everyone is welcome to come and meet, to learn, to explore.”

Remember the proverb: “It’s better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.”

This Thanksgiving season I’m thankful for those who choose to light a candle.