Legislative update: Remember those who can’t gather together for Thanksgiving
By JIMMY HIGDON
14th District State Senator
Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020 — Autumn air will soon turn to a winter’s frost. A difficult year is drawing to a welcomed close. The hustle and bustle of the holidays feels different this year. Despite the many struggles and uncertainties, we remain full of gratitude for the many blessings we have in our lives.
Thankfully, election season is in our rearview mirror, and we can shift our focus to what this time of year is really about: family, friends, and our communities. Each Thanksgiving I look forward to being home with family and grandkids spending time making memories. They are the moments that make life meaningful. Thanksgiving meals will probably be different for many families this year due to COVID-19.
However you choose to enjoy your Thanksgiving meals, remember those families that may be unable to be together this holiday season as well as those who are in need. Tis the season of giving, so I encourage you and your family to reach out to local charities to ensure that the homeless are sheltered and the hungry are fed.
We must also remember our service members, many of whom will be without their families this Thanksgiving, as they are away serving our country. It is important that we honor these individuals and our veterans as we give thanks for the many blessings and freedoms we have here in the United States.
Finally, remember those doctors, nurses, first responders, and other essential workers who will be on duty while most of us enjoy a day off.
It would be easy to dwell on all of the challenges 2020 has brought us. COVID-19 has cast a dark cloud. It has heightened our anxieties, threatened the health of the vulnerable, brought on financial hardships, and left many feeling a sense of uncertainty about the future. Normally, we have social gatherings, fellowship, dinners, sporting events, and other activities to temporarily escape, but these have all been casualties of the pandemic.
While our anxieties and fears have merit, I hope you will join me in focusing on the silver linings in our lives. We still have so much to be thankful for.
I have heard from many folks about how this year, more than ever, they have spent quality time at home with their families. People have found time to read a book they have always been interested in. They have picked up the phone and reconnected with a loved one or old friend they have grown distant from and even started a remodeling job or cleaned the garage. People have chosen to enjoy the beauty within their community and appreciate the little things in life. Many like myself have spent time in quarantine due to coming in contact with the virus. In a lot of ways, our perspective has changed for the better.
Be thankful this year for these silver linings and all of the truly precious things in life. Whether it is with food, football, family, or a combination of them all and more, take time to say a prayer of thanks for all that God has done for us. Yes, we have so much to be thankful for. Even in these uncertain times.
Don’t forget, Small Business Saturday is November 28. Its goal is to remind consumers that they play a key role in helping the small businesses in their community thrive. We are encouraged to shop and dine locally. With Black Friday being canceled this year at many retail locations, Small Business Saturday is a perfect day to support your locally owned mom-and-pop-shops.
As always, do not hesitate to reach out to me if I can be of assistance to you. You can call me toll-free at 1-800-372-7181 (office) or 1-270-692-6945 (home) or email me at Jimmy.Higdon@lrc.ky.gov.You can also review the legislature’s work online at www.legislature.ky.gov. Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours, and God bless.
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