In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, it’s common to think about the things you’ve been thankful for this past year.

  This past week, being thankful has been my main focus.

  As I am sure it has been for everyone, 2020 has sure been tough on me and my family. However, I believe that there are still things to be thankful for despite feeling as if there is little, if anything, to appreciate.

  First and foremost, I am thankful for my amazing family that continues to be supportive no matter what. Spending time in quarantine together has brought us closer for sure and provided me with priceless memories that I will cherish for many years to come. I’ll admit, we did drive each other crazy, but isn’t that what family does from time to time?

  This year, my family has begun having ‘family dinners’ with my aunts, uncles and cousins. Each Wednesday night we gather together, eat amazing food, laugh until we cry and just enjoy being around one another. We’ve all forged a stronger family connection this year and, for that, I’m extremely thankful.

  In 2020, I also discovered a new church family in Henry Baptist Church. I had been without a church home for years and the amazing members of Henry Baptist Church opened up their hearts to me and my family, making us feel as if we belong in their congregation. For that, I am grateful beyond words. I am genuinely excited to go to Sunday School and church each Sunday, knowing that we are truly among friends while we worship the Lord.

  I am also thankful for the many friends I have made in Henry County, but especially at the McDonough Public Library branch. Despite the library shifting to curbside-only pick-up this year, I am absolutely grateful that the library was able to provide their services to the community in an amended fashion rather than close to the community completely. During the library closure, I was a regular curbside patron, picking up piles of books I placed on hold to keep me busy during my downtime. Rather than running in and out of the library like I did previously, the curbside pick-up option forced me to slow down and actually begin conversations with those working at the front table while I waited for my books to be found and scanned. As a result of those many conversations, I feel as if I have new friends in Ms. A, Anna and the other library staff. Even though the library has since reopened to patrons for service inside, I still pause and talk to my new library friends, and it is always the highlight of my day.

  Although 2020 has not been kind to small businesses, I am so grateful that The Henry County Times remains able to bring news to the Henry County community. It is truly an amazing newspaper with some wonderfully kind employees and owners. I have read so many stories in the paper this year about members of the community reaching out to help and support one another in this trying time and it is truly inspiring.

  And finally, as a new employee of Connecting Henry, I am thankful that I am able to work with some amazing individuals that are working tirelessly to make a positive impact on Henry County through providing much needed assistance to Henry County residents in the form of their S.W.A.G. GED program, the Community Cares Toy Drive, and in providing families that are experiencing hardships with assistance in a myriad of ways. It is truly wonderful to be a part of an organization that gives back to Henry County and its residents.

  Although 2020 has not been as wonderful as we had hoped it would be in 2019, I am optimistic that 2021 will be better than this year has been to us all. But, for now, I will continue to be thankful for what this year has brought to me and my family.

  In these next few days, I challenge you to make a list of things you are thankful for in 2020.You might be surprised at how many things you write down on your list. I certainly was.

  Erin Lopez recently graduated from Georgia College & State University with a Mass Communication major and too many minors. She loves to read, binge Netflix shows, and spend lots of time with her five cats.