Finding gratitude this year might seem incongruous with the pandemic, with the world quite literally being on fire, and with – well, we don’t need a third. It would be easy to write this year off completely.
When better than now, though, for the words of the Buddhist Thich Nhat Hanh: “The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don’t wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy.”
I held that idea in my mind as we talked about how to approach Thanksgiving at the paper. If 2020 were a TV series, we’d all have whiplash from the plot twists, but bad things happening doesn’t mean we can’t find joy. That’s why we put our community on the cover – it’s one worth celebrating.
The cover shot, many of you may recognize, is a tribute to Norman Rockwell’s “Freedom From Want.” We wanted to represent the different people who love Gulfport, and on our cover you see Trump supporters and Biden supporters; social workers and fishermen, kids and restaurant owners. This is what Gulfport looks like from the inside out. Mayor Sam Henderson said it best years ago (and I’m paraphrasing): We may not all like each other, but we’d come together to help each other in a crisis.
There’s no question we know this firsthand at the Gabber. This paper would not exist without your support. I – we – are far more grateful than we can convey in one issue of the paper. We are stronger with you. We are, all of us, in our wide and myriad diversity, stronger together.
We wish you all a happy and safe holiday, celebrating what we have, because what we have right now is enough.
– Cathy
P.S. A special thanks to Pia’s Trattoria for their gracious use of their outdoor dining area and assistance with edible props.
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