In the spirit of keeping it real - 2020 was an extremely difficult year. Looking at the bigger picture of things everyone experienced - there was COVID-19 (not just the illness, but also the guidelines and cancellations/closures that came along with it), rioting and looting in some areas, record unemployment, a shaky stock market, and it was an election year on top of all that. It was rough, but here we are nearing the end of the year and somehow we survived.

It is important to keep in mind that we do still have so much to be grateful for. For me, I am grateful for the health of my family. We had some scares in 2020, but we are all still here. I have a wonderful son who will turn three in a few months who constantly keeps me on my toes. And there is nothing better than hearing him say: “I love you mommy.” My family is always there for me, and have guided me through an extremely tough year. And I have a wonderful group of friends, some of which I have been friends with for 20 years, who made me laugh in 2020.

I feel grateful to work for a company that has managed to navigate this strange year so well, keeping our team safe and working. I was blessed with the ability to work from home during the statewide stay-at-home orders, and blessed to return to work once orders were lifted. And I am so grateful for those that couldn’t work from home and showed up every day to provide for not only their own family, but ensure that their teammates can provide for their families, too.

I’ve spent the second half of 2020 on a personal journey of discovering who I am again, and who I want to be. Turns out, it’s simple. I just want to be happy and I want my son to be happy. We are, and we will continue to make decisions that keep us that way.

What do you have to be grateful for this year?

- Stephanie McCord, Marketing