Thanksgiving Week is a window that opens every year at this time into a 'four-week season' layered with traditions, emotions, and expectations.

For some, it's a time of excitement highlighted with reunions, celebrations, and familiar rituals that mark the holidays.

Personally, I love these holidays whether alone, with family, friends, or enjoying holiday displays in Manhattan or here in Brooklyn.

For others the holidays bring a sense of uneasiness - the stress of gatherings, the weight of memories, and of course the challenges of travel. How did we ever get anywhere without tech showing us the way!

Once this window opens, it guides four weeks of insights, emotions, reflections, reconnections, and hopefully moments of joy that remind us of what truly matters.

Be sure to bring your phone charger wherever you go to take lots of pictures. They become the memories we return to that put a smile on our faces while warming the heart long after a special moment has passed.

When I was young, we called them "Kodak Moments" that were printed and framed, adorning homes and other places where we spend time - or given as gifts. Today pics can be so much more as technology enhances the magic of a moment captured in time. Actually, a short video is also lots of fun to look back on and cherish with a smile on your face and a laugh in your heart.

What should you be thankful for in 2025? That's totally up to you - from the smallest blessings to the larger events shaping our world today - though as we all know, when the leader of a country is unstable, the way he governs will inevitably be reflected in the nation itself - its direction, its challenges, and the emotional climate people navigate every day.

Many people are grateful for the personal growth they made this year - from the learning lessons they experienced - simplistic truths about how they function in life and the personal commitment to never repeating those lessons again. Sometimes it's about recognizing the behaviors of others they encounter, understanding what those interactions reveal, and responding honestly before moving on.

For some, their cup runneth over, while for others this has been another challenging year with hope for a brighter future.

Just sharing my flowers with you before Thanksgiving on a gorgeous day in Brooklyn. Please take one. How do they get them this color? Add purple dye to the water and watch it seep up into the white flowers. Some petals are white with purple running through them The thick stems are also purple. Really gorgeous.