LITTLE ROCK- It’s hard for me to believe that it is Thanksgiving once again. Of course, at my age, it seems like the years pass by faster each year.
But each year at this time, I offer a Thanksgiving message to our readers. And may I say, first of all, all of us at Resident Press are very thankful for each of you. Our readers and subscribers continue to grow, and we are extremely thankful.
It is also hard for me to fathom how much can change in just one year. About this time last year, I shared a message with you while our family was vacationing in Gulf Shores, Alabama. It was a special trip for my family; my wife and mom and dad were on the trip, and we spent a wonderful week on the coast.
A year later, my mom and dad are still recovering and rebuilding from having lost their home in the March tornados that ravaged west Little Rock. And ever since that fateful spring day, my parents’ lives have been uprooted and they have battled emotional, physical, and legal issues with rebuilding their home. It would be a hard task for anyone that is much younger, but at their ages, it has taken tremendous strength and emotional fortitude to face the challenges each day.
In a matter of minutes on that day in March, their lives changed from having a home that they had worked hard for and invested in, located in a beautiful neighborhood, and had been the place of family gatherings for over 40 years. It was a thing of beauty, and it was a house of love for all who entered. Many of my fondest memories have taken place in their home.
But as bad as the physical and financial damage has been, the most important thing is that both of them were spared of injury or possible death. For that, I am eternally grateful.
And that’s where I think my Thanksgiving message for this year begins.
There is so much turmoil in all of our lives today. It is local, statewide, nationwide, and yes, worldwide. Things seem so bad at times that I wonder if the world will ever be whole again.
But in our business of media, we say that all news is local. And at RNN, we pride ourselves on being a media outlet and voice for local news reporting. We have many contributors who work selflessly everyday with the pride and commitment of being a fair, accurate, and legitimate local news outlet. It starts with our owner and founder, and that mission permeates the entire organization.
Local has meant to me this year that my family has had to rebuild their lives while battling multiple health and emotional issues related to both the tornado and to being in their 80’s and 90’s. It has been heartbreaking to hear their stories while simultaneously being maddening at the bureaucracy and legal red tape they have had to endure to just get the construction on their home started.
But things are beginning to move forward, albeit in slow baby steps. But nevertheless, it is progress. They hope to have enough work completed that they may return to their home this winter. It will likely be a year of displacement before they are completely relocated.
My parents have experienced seeing their home and sense of normalcy reduced to rubble, but through their perseverance and with the help of many prayers, they have been kept safe and they will eventually move back into their home. For them and our family, it will be a time of renewal when they do move back. From having experienced total devastation to experiencing a renewal of their home lives, it is a vivid example of the human spirit, the grace of God, and hope for all of us that no matter how bad things can be, there is always hope for triumph in the end.
If any of you, our readers, have or are experiencing devastation in your lives, we pray that this time of Thanksgiving will bring renewal to all of you. It may not be easy, but triumph and renewal are there for all of us.
This year at Thanksgiving, I am thankful for my family’s health, and that although they lost their home, they were spared from harm. Homes can be rebuilt. It may be a slow and arduous process, but homes can be replaced. But no one, can replace my family. Being blessed with the comfort of knowing that they escaped personal harm, for that, I am eternally thankful. And this year, we will all be blessed to have them spend Thanksgiving with us.
On behalf of all of us at Resident Press, we wish you and your family a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.
