This Thanksgiving is Time to be Thankful

This November is a time for gratitude and being thankful for all that we have in our lives, especially after the last nine months of 2020.  With Thanksgiving next week, I wanted to share with you all that I am thankful for in my life and I hope you have time to reflect on the things you are grateful for in your life. 

My Daughters -  I am thankful for the time given to my daughters and me this year to spend together.  We could slow down and have quality time together that we may not have been giving in a normal year.  I know that I look at the future past the pandemic and hope that this time together will be a regular event and not just in 2020.  

My Parents -  I am thankful that my parents have stayed safe during this pandemic.  I know it has been hard for them not to see myself, their granddaughters, and their friends as often as they would have in a typical year, but their staying healthy and safe is more important than gathering together.  
​

My Close Friends – I am thankful for the bubble that we created over the late spring and early summer, and we were able to spend time together by my pool on many weekends and our trip to New Hampshire together.  In March and April, the zoom calls were nice to stay in touch, but it was not the same as hanging out together.  Several friends could not be in our bubble, and I miss them very much and cannot wait until the time we can gather together and give each other hugs. I know everyone feels this way too.

My Business and My Clients -  This year has been a tough one.  I remember talking to a friend back on January 31st and saying, “I am glad I do not sell much Asia,” and then not a week or so later, the pandemic hit Italy, and I thought, oh no, this is not going to be good.  The first months of the virus surging in Europe and the US were very hard on my business and the travel industry.  There were many sleepless nights in the beginning, but I knew my goal was to be a constant to my clients.  Helping my clients cancel their trips for the past year has been challenging, but my clients know I will do whatever I can to be their advocate.  Unfortunately, as this pandemic rages on, I am thankful for my clients who have reached out to thank me for helping them and being in contact as much as I need, so they know where their future trip stands. 

My Travel Colleagues and Business Associates – We have all stuck together during this unprecedented year.  Back at the beginning of March, I reached out to my colleague Bill, and we talked every day to support each other and listen during this extremely stressful time. Then as the weeks went by, I found a core group of travel associates from Texas that we would facetime each morning to keep our spirits up and help each other get through the days and weeks ahead.  Little did we know that those early calls would still be going on now, nine months later.  These calls have helped us grow in our business, so we work better for our clients and more efficiently for our businesses.  I am thankful for Anthea, Kimberlee, Gina, and Kathleen during this time in our lives. 

I am also thankful for my coach Jen and the Tri-Town Chamber of Commerce for being a support and a sounding board during this time.  Zoom has been an excellent resource for staying in touch and not feeling so isolated in my business.  I have also found a travel community called Connections, which has introduced me to many new partners around the world. The relationships have been fostered by a community that is all in the same situation. It has brought me knowledge and friendship that I look forward to sharing with my clients over the many years to come.  

I have said in the past Thanksgiving newsletters, “Since you never know what tomorrow will bring,” being thankful for what you have at the moment is priceless.  There are many things to be grateful for in our lives, and we can bring those blessings with us as we move through this time of change.