By the time this is published, I’m very hopeful most of us living in Central Oklahoma will have power back to our homes. Last week was a record storm for Oklahoma. Our friends at OG&E and PSO worked tirelessly to restore power to hundreds of thousands without. Neighbors came together to clear ice storm debris and to check in with one another for our well-being. This is the Oklahoma Standard at work. For that, I am so very grateful.

In my time without power or internet, business was not “the usual.” With COVID-19 issues still lingering, the ice storm was a bit of a tipping point for all of our stress. Yet, we came through. Resilient and moving forward. This is a lot like our nonprofit sector in Oklahoma. When life hands us lemons, we don’t just make lemonade, but lemon merengue, lemon bars and lemon candy. Our sector has jumped through so many hoops this year to take care of our citizens. No matter what curves balls are thrown, nonprofits have stepped up to feed our hungry, give shelter to our homeless, treat our ill, entertain and educate us, empower us and take care of us.  And for that, I am so grateful.

This week, our citizens went to the polls. At the time I write this, I won’t know the outcomes from the elections, but I do know that our nonprofits were front and center to engage citizens to get informed about the issues and to exercise their rights to vote. I saw one nonprofit leader spending three full days in their agency van taking people back and forth to ONE OK Field in Tulsa for early voting. I saw other nonprofit groups handing out snacks and drinks to people in line. Our nonprofits are well-engaged in the democratic process. And once again, for that I am grateful.

November is traditionally a big month for gratitude. We celebrate Thanksgiving. I, personally, have kept a gratitude journal for several years, noting what I’m grateful for each day. This year, I believe we need to take a moment to reflect and communicate gratitude in a big way. That gratitude extends to our nonprofits who work each and every day to do good and transform our communities. That gratitude extends to our loyal donors – individuals, foundations and corporations – who provide the fuel for our missions to take flight.

And this year, my gratitude is to Oklahoma. Every year, there’s a surprise. This year, Oklahoma has stepped up in big ways. From our nonprofits and businesses engaging in a challenging Census to citizens coming together to take care of one another in truly unprecedented times. I urge all Oklahomans to take a moment right now to count blessings and express their gratitude. To quote my dear friend and mentor, Pat Potts: Thanksgiving is Thanksliving.