Thanksgiving Wish 2009

The floats are lining up on Central Park West and the turkey is in the oven. It's quiet now, but soon the voices will pick up, the laughter will get louder and glasses will be raised. As soon as the first bite of that drumstick is taken, the holiday season will have officially begun and it will be full steam ahead until the new year.

But before you brave those Black Friday sales, remember that life isn't about what you will get, it's about appreciating what you already have.

2009 has had its ups and downs.

The global economy is in crisis and there are so many who we love who have been affected. Swine flu has ravaged the world and with it raised other concerns about our overall healthcare and how we will be able to afford to keep our families healthy. The seas have become as dangerous as the mountains of the Middle East. And Kanye made poor Taylor Swift feel bad.

But there has also been an overabundance of hope.

We have an intelligent and respected leader who will lead us in the charge to "pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America." We have witnessed miracles in the Hudson and fellow Boriqua, Sonya Sotomayor now sits on the Supreme Court. And the most hopeful of all, Glee now provides smiles and sing-along moments to millions!

There is so much to be thankful for.

For me, this has been an amazing year. I have been able to reconnect with friends from years past, I've completed my graduate degree, and I was actually blessed with losing my job! That one change allowed me to explore my country coast-to-coast and share it with you online and on TV. Then finally to return home to a new job doing something that I actually like.

This Thanksgiving, I ask that you remember all that you have right now. If you have someone to love, a place to call home, a full belly and the belief that you will wake up tomorrow, then you have more than enough. Everything else is just gravy.

Speaking of gravy, can you please pass some along with the mashed potatoes?