Every year, on the fourth Thursday of November, American families gather around the table to celebrate our national holiday of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is more than the Macy’s parade, turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie, and televised football. Don’t get me wrong, I really like all of these traditions, I just don’t know what they have to do with gratitude, or with immigrants thanking locals for helping them survive. On Thanksgiving Day, we should be sure to count our blessings. As we do in every issue, this edition spotlights people in our community that contribute to our quality of life–from our local police officers(see pages 16 & 17), to our veterans (see page 38) to the volunteers at the mudroom (see page 18). By publishing these stories, I hope you will count these “blessings” we have right here in our backyard.
As you brine the turkey, or cheer for your favorite football team this Thanksgiving, take some time to be thankful for your pet. After all, your cat or dog is a member of your family and deserves to be appreciated for all the love and companionship s/he offers you. Pets don’t care what you look like, what you do for a living, or that you bite your nails. They don’t judge your fashion choices or hairstyle. It makes no difference to them that you have no idea how to brine a turkey or make perfect homemade mashed potatoes. Pets just love you. It’s as simple as that. At EAST COBBER, we believe your one-of-a-kind companion(s) deserves their own special section, so we publish the annual Pet Guide (see pages 20-27), East Cobb’s only directory of resources to help you take care of your precious pet as well as list local groups that are out there advocating for and saving all types of animals.
“Thanksgiving” is gratitude in action as well as thoughtful reflection. So, thanks to all of you readers, who are the heart and soul of this publication, the reason for this magazine’s existence. I have so much to be thankful for, and I don’t mean to trivialize those personal treasures of family and friends and liberty and democracy. But the relationship between EAST COBBER and you, the reader, is one that forms the basis of all that I think about when I am creating each issue. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our many advertisers who choose to promote their businesses by placing ads in the EAST COBBER. Without their commitment there would be no publication. And thanks to our 500 community-minded merchants who act as drop-off points for EAST COBBER. I Appreciate You All!
This article originally appeared in the November issue of the EAST COBBER magazine, on page 4. Click HERE to access the digital edition.
