Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I hope you are looking forward to sitting down and finding some time to take a break from your day-to-day hustle and turn your attention and energy to those that gather with you. Holidays bring us a time to reflect on our lives and a chance to say thank you to those in our lives that are near and dear to us. Our families, friends, neighbors, and coworkers deserve our sincere appreciation and respect. We get a chance to gather, reminisce on our past and plan for our future. Personally, I am happy if I can get my kids together in the same room at the same time. In a busy world, with growing families this seems like a luxury rarely achieved. This year it’s going to happen. I love cooking and having the kids around to enjoy some humor and of course football and basketball until it comes out our ears! The Monroe Alumni Basketball Tournament is a staple in our family. It’s return after the pause in 2020 has me revved up to see my son’s classmates come back together. A bit of fun competition between classes is always entertaining and exciting. 

With a focus on family and friends, I would like to mention there are so many people that are looking out for us without us even knowing it. Monday, November 22 was Public Health Thank You Day. I’d like to offer a thank you to those who have stood strong and demonstrated tremendous resilience while working to protect our community during one of the greatest health crises in modern history. 

With commitment and ingenuity, these public health heroes respond to emergencies, combat opioid and drug abuse, promote maternal and child health, address then extensive mental health needs of our community, and create awareness of how to prevent chronic disease, and prepare for future health crises, among their many challenges.

For those who have answered the call to a profession that offers support and protection for us all, I thank you and I invite you all to do the same. Many of these qualified and dedicated individuals are behind the scenes due to the nature of their chosen professions. Public accolades rarely take place for these people. So, if you know one or two or twenty of them. Don’t be afraid to say thank you. Everyone likes to be appreciated for their contributions. We all face issues beyond our control in life and it is nice to know there are people surrounding us to make sure we can stay safe from harm. 

Thank you to the Monroe Times and its readers for allowing me the opportunity to share my thoughts. We have a lot of to be thankful for and of course, I would not be doing my job if I didn’t remind you how great of a community we have. Please keep us strong and choose to shop locally. Your family, friends and neighbors are counting on you. 

— Melissa Even is the executive director for the Monroe Chamber of Commerce. She can be reached at melissa@monroechamber.org.