🍂 Have a Happy Thanksgiving 🦃

Happy Thanksgiving, friends!! It seems like it was just last year and I was sharing my plans for the long holiday weekend with you! Where, oh where, have those 365 days gone?

What are you doing today? Maybe hitting up some good Black Friday sales? We’re sticking close to home, and honestly, I couldn’t be happier about that! I’m not sure if it’s the cold winter, but I’ve just been feeling the need to hibernate indoors lately. Plus, of course Ms. Bear will be making us her famous Thanksgiving feast, complete with pumpkin pie. We’ll also be playing Yahtzee, which I plan on winning — but don’t tell her that! Anyway, I just really want to spend some quality time with my mom and Janelle. I’m so grateful for them each and every day, and with everything that’s happened over the last year, my family means everything to me!

On a serious note, though, I’ve always thought of Thanksgiving week as the official start of the holiday season. From now until New Year’s Day, an emphasis on family and cheer will be everywhere. But it’s also important to remember that the holidays are hard for many people. Loss is especially poignant this time of year, and sometimes, grief shows up instead of cheer. As you celebrate, keep those people in your heart. The people who don’t have family to go home to. The people who are struggling. The people who are hurting. The people who are grieving.

I’ll be taking the rest of the week off, so I’ll see you all back here on Monday, November 26th for more fun and merriment — think the Holiday Gift Guide 2018 the first week of December as well as a few of my recently published pieces!

In the meantime, be sure to follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram! You know I’ll be chronicling my long-weekend adventures!! See you there, friends! xoxo

[Photos via Unsplash]