The cool breeze coming down Gaiter Way and out to Hyers St. linked with the sights of scarecrows and pumpkin spice scent wafting in the air heading into Downtown signifies we are close to Thanksgiving once again.
This year has been hard to get through and many of us feel it was lost or stolen from us. The upcoming litany of holiday festivities will be a lot different and much more solemn than in years past. Although, this Thanksgiving there is still plenty to be thankful for.
Those of us who have seen the heartbreaking loss and sickness but not experienced it ourselves can be grateful. Even if the dinner table is smaller this Thanksgiving we can be grateful for the food on the table and a household of loved ones with us. We can be thankful for our essential workers who have worked endlessly for months to try and subdue the spread of the pandemic. We can be thankful for the scientific community, which has moved at unprecedented speed to bring treatments and vaccinations to market.
We can be thankful for the work of Toms River High School South’s exceptional staff. The teachers and faculty that have had to learn new ways to educate the student body, that have had to make sure their own children get their education in the room over in between virtual class periods. We can be thankful for our peers who have tried their best to learn on their computers in their bedrooms, basements, or living rooms.
We can be thankful for the various clubs and organizations that help feed the hungry and raise money for charities that assist the less fortunate.
This Thanksgiving will be different, it will be alien to the way we usually would gather. Though, this may be the Thanksgiving in which we all should be the most thankful. Happy Thanksgiving from The Chieftain.
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