a season for thanksgiving

As many of you know, I write a column for a paper in each county. Now that the column has run in all of the newspapers, I wanted to share this column with you, my Facebook followers. I am thankful for all of you, and I hope you enjoy this column.

A Season for Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday and your week is going well. I am taking a break from my series on the anatomy of a criminal case to reflect on the Holiday Season. Our Thanksgiving looked different this year than in those past. We celebrated mostly outside and wore masks. We were more cautious around our older relatives, and some of the normal faces we see were absent because of concerns about travel from faraway states.

Yet, there were those small moments where everything seemed just like it always had been. A prayer of thanks as we all stood in a circle, the laughter of the youngest ones playing outside, the smell of turkey, ham, and every casserole you could imagine. In those moments, the memories of years past and the hopes for the future converged, and I was met with the overwhelming feeling of gratitude for the simple comforts of food and family. A thankfulness for something normal.

This year has been a tremendous challenge for our country and for many in our community. We have faced economic insecurity, health issues, and the real anxiety that comes with not knowing where the world will take us next. But, despite our fears and worries, we are not without blessings. The challenge is to find a moment to reflect on these blessings.

First and foremost, I am thankful for a Thanksgiving Holiday to be with family and friends. I am thankful for those in the military and law enforcement who could not be with their families because they were out protecting us. I am thankful to live in a country where we are free to worship and speak our mind as we please. I am forever thankful for my work family.
Finally, I am thankful to serve as your District Attorney. I view this job as a calling and as a gift. I answer this call every day and strive to keep you all safe in these communities that we call home.

While the world may seem vastly different and divided right now, I am thankful for the commonalities that bring each of us together. We all want health and happiness. We are striving for our children to be the best that they can be, and we are all hopeful that this Holiday season will bring some much needed joy in what has been a difficult year. As we begin this season of thanks and giving, let us remember to think of others: check on your neighbor, help out a stranger in need, call a friend, hug your family members and let them know you love them. There are so many little things we can do to make the world a brighter place. Let us do our part to spread just a little more joy this season. Until next time, take care of each other.
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Marie G. Broder
District Attorney
Griffin Judicial Circuit