Happy Thanksgiving!

This is a wonderful time to visit with our close friends and family, eat plenty of food, and remember those things that we are thankful for in our lives. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to serve you, District 1.

We don’t need to waste time sugar-coating it- 2020 has been a difficult year for most Americans. COVID-19 and the economic devastation in its wake has touched nearly every part of our lives, causing serious illness, devastating our small businesses, and keeping us from visiting our loved ones. Even in the midst of our darkest moments as a country, we have united at this time of year for nearly two centuries to be thankful for what we are blessed to have.

We celebrated Veterans Day this month, providing a fresh reminder to be thankful for the freedoms that we have in our country and the courageous men and women who fight for the United States around the world. Every year on Thanksgiving, we are free to enjoy ourselves and celebrate the holiday in whatever way we want (even if that means figuring out how to cook a turducken). We are lucky to live in the greatest country in the history of mankind.

2020 has also brought a new level of gratitude to have our friends and family. There’s always a running joke about suffering through visits with extended family during the holidays, but this year, even a visit with Aunt Edna is a welcome reprieve from social isolation. Family members unable to join holiday celebrations in person can join via modern technology, like a Zoom video conference. The role of our loved ones in our lives is certainly something to be thankful for.

We can take a moment to be thankful a vaccine for COVID-19 has been successful and will be distributed over the next several months. We live in an era of unprecedented medical expertise and access to research, allowing us to defeat this pandemic in months rather than decades. Our healthcare workers also deserve our thanks. Their tireless service on the front lines has saved thousands of lives. The same goes for our other essential workers, as well.

Some of us may just be thankful to have 2020 in the rearview mirror. 2021 is just around the corner, which we can all be thankful for. 

As always, I welcome your input on issues important to you. Follow along on my Facebook and Twitter pages, both entitled “Senator Julie Slama” for more updates, or contact me directly at Senator Julie Slama, District 1 State Capitol, PO Box 94604, Lincoln NE 68509-4604; telephone: 402-471-2733; email: jslama@leg.ne.gov.