Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I’m a little glad it’s this time of year. I’ll be honest, it’s been a hard month, but I’m grateful for Thanksgiving and the reminder it offers.
Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on what you have and be grateful for it. It’s a reminder to view the blessings in our life, to focus on the good, not the bad. Maybe you have one of those family traditions on Thanksgiving where you go around saying what you’re thankful for? What are you going to tell your family this year? You’re thankful for them? For the food on the table? Thankful to be alive?
When you take a moment to think about it, we’ve got a lot to be thankful for. In a universe where we don’t know if life exists elsewhere, our planet sustains us. We all get the beauty of the sunrises and the sunsets. Each of us gets the opportunity to live and have the will power to make our own choices. Sometimes, all you need is to look around at life and be grateful for the bare minimum. This breath and the next one.
I’m grateful for a lot. I have a family I can count on. I have an awesome job that a lot of people wish they could have. And, coworkers who give me grace when I show up late.
But, really thinking about it. I’m really thankful for the animal caretakers of the world. This week was hard for my team. We came together to make the decision to euthanize my favorite duck. His quality of life had declined. He could barely walk. I got to be there when we said goodbye along with several other members of my team. Several other members. The room was filled with tears because of a singular duck.
That just goes to show how much love animal caretakers put into their work. So much so, that the loss of a duck brings us to tears. A lot of people, if they saw us in that room, would’ve looked at us and said “it’s just a duck? So what?” Well, he was a very special duck and we had the honor of caring for him.
This Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for the caretakers who put their heart and a little bit of their soul into every animal they care for, no matter how big or how small.
nikki diekemper 
Wow. Love it. And I am thankful for you and all caregivers of the animals at the zoo. That duck had most likely provided thousands of smiles to children and their parents over the years while visiting the zoo. Stay true to what you do.
LikeLiked by 1 person