In a year like 2020, the temptation is real to retreat into our caves Grinch-style and get back under the cover until 2021 arrives, but in the darkest days, it’s important to always see the light! Although many of us won’t be having a traditional Thanksgiving this year, there are plenty of things to be thankful for:

• Family! You may have gotten more of them than you ever wanted—with a side helping of 7^th grade algebra at the kitchen table—but being surrounded by loved ones is always a bright spot.
• Football is back. Thankful for pending Saturdays and Sundays screaming at the television only to be ignored by players and referees alike? Absolutely!
• Hobbies. Whether you learned to knit, broke Pinterest with your remodeling projects, or just learned to bake a killer banana bread, you used this quiet time to better yourself, learn something new, or just make your space a bit more homey.
• No more political ads! With the election over, we won’t be disturbed with evening phone calls or papered over with candidate flyers. And with the next election not until 2022, we’ll have about 3 full months of quiet!
• The holidays. Yes, the holidays will be very different this year but we can all still embrace the spirit. If we’re able, we can spoil our loved ones with gifts, and if we’re not we can write meaningful notes, share a song, or volunteer our time to make someone else’s season special.

Many mantras would fit the bill for 2020, but the most apt and optimistic may be “We’re all in this together.” So, while it has been a year of challenges, at least we can be thankful that there are people to share it with.