Dear Reader,

If this was a normal year, I’d be writing to wish you all a happy Thanksgiving and remind you of everything that we have to be thankful for–but this is not a normal year. This year, many of us are forgoing gatherings with family or friends due to the ongoing pandemic. While that may mean less fighting about politics at the dinner table (possibly the only upside of this situation), it also means that we will be losing out on valuable time with loved ones that people cherish during this time of year. This year, there seems to be little to be thankful for, and as we celebrate, so many families across the country will be reminded of the empty seat at the table or the family member conspicuously absent from the Zoom call. For so many people, this will be the first major holiday without a sibling, parent, aunt, uncle, cousin, or grandparent. And for those of us who have been fortunate enough to not have lost someone, I hope that we can find love and compassion in our hearts for those who have. 

This is by no means a normal Thanksgiving, but I still am thankful for the good that is happening in our communities, good that is so much more powerful and important in these hard times. I am thankful for each and every person who has done their part to stop the spread of the virus, and every person who has sacrificed something in order to do so. 

As we look forward to 2021, the light at the end of the tunnel that we all are looking toward, I hope desperately that next Thanksgiving, the biggest problem we all will have is fighting about politics at the dinner table. 

Happy Thanksgiving. Stay safe. Stay home when you can and wear a mask when you can’t.

Sincerely, 

Lizzie Lohrer

Editor-in-Chief