Thanksgiving is a time to express gratitude toward family, colleagues, and friends. It is a time to let those around me know how much I appreciate them.  At first glance, this may seem to apply just to those in my immediate sphere, but digging a bit deeper, I realize this extends well beyond my initial small scope of awareness.  After all, friends can come from unexpected places and in different forms.

Unexpected friends appeared this year to extinguish the fire at our office, to help our community to stay safe, to assist us in the rebuild process, and though I don’t know all of their names, I am forever grateful.

Unexpected friends appeared when clients like you referred your friends and family to us, and my team and I have welcomed them into our W community with open arms.  I am forever grateful. 

Unexpected friends appeared over Zoom (of all places!) giving us the opportunity to develop friendships around the globe and even get together with some of those people in person this year.  Whether personally or work related, it amazes me every year how technology continues to advance, expanding our capacity to reach out to develop deep relationships with people we may only see once a year, if at all.  We can easily help people buy and sell homes even when they are on the other side of the world!  I am forever grateful.

I can ponder on this globally and I can marvel at the unexpected friends in my own back yard.  Yes, I am thankful for the birds, bees, rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels and even the deer that come and eat my flowers.  They remind me of how intertwined our lives are and bring me joy as I watch them go about their business each day.  As the chipmunks and squirrels gather nuts, I am reminded of the towering trees that provide food to them and shade in the summer months to me.  We are all connected on this big, beautiful planet and I am forever grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving to you! My wish is that you find unexpected friends and connect with them in new ways!