🦃 Before the Turkey, Chaos, and Conspiracy Theories…A Thanksgiving Thank-You

A quick note of gratitude before someone brings up whatever they “saw on Facebook.”

Before the turkey goes in the oven, before your uncle launches into his annual Facebook-forwarded conspiracy theory, and before I inevitably end up fact-checking something at the dinner table…

I want to say thank you.

Thank you for showing up this year with curiosity, compassion, courage, and a willingness to engage with the hard stuff when it would’ve been so much easier to look away.

You’ve sent messages about how these newsletters helped you talk to your families, your coworkers, your kids, or helped you make sense of a world that feels like it’s spinning faster and wobbling harder. You’ve told me when something grounded you, challenged you, comforted you, or gave you a little more clarity in a very unclear year.

And I want you to know something:

This community has been one of the most unexpected blessings of my year.
It reminds me why I’m doing this. On the days when the harassment gets loud or the threats roll in, your messages, your courage, and your stories bring me back to center and keep me steady. You remind me that truth has an army, and that I’m not walking this road alone. You are the proof that this work matters, that hope is still real, and that people are taking action in their own way, in their own corners of the country.

I’ve seen, up close, what disinformation, fear, and division can do. I’ve sat in the rooms where decisions are made and in the hallways where public servants whisper things they’re afraid to say out loud. And still, every time I come here to write, I’m reminded that people across this country share far more than the algorithms want us to think.

I’m deeply grateful for you.
Your courage, your stories, and your presence here have brought strength, clarity, and hope in a year that has been… a lot. You’ve shown up even when the headlines were dark, confusing, or exhausting. You’ve shared stories from the borderlands, rural towns, big cities, farm regions, classrooms, and military families—and they remind me daily how much good still exists in this country.

Here’s the truth, and a reminder worth holding onto today:

We’re not nearly as divided as social media and clickbait-rage outlets want us to believe.

Most people, no matter where they live or who they voted for, want the same basics:
Safety, dignity, affordable groceries, decent healthcare, stable jobs, a future for their kids, and leaders who actually make things better, not worse.

That’s real. And it gives me real hope.
Let’s try, even just for today, to find the common ground our feeds forget exists.

So wherever you are, surrounded by loud family, at work, on duty, on the road, alone, or taking a much-needed break, I hope you find a moment of peace, connection, and something good (whether that’s pie, mashed potatoes, a turkey trot, or just five minutes of quiet).

I’m grateful for you. For this community. For the hope you give me every time I sit down to write.

Happy Thanksgiving, from my kitchen (and my dogs stealing pie crust) to yours!

And on that note, I’m off to the 50th annual Turkey Trot—pacing myself this year after the time I ran it like a 5K… and discovered it was actually five miles. Yikes! 🦃🏃🏻‍♀️

-Olivia

PS: As a small thank-you for being part of this community, I’m offering a Thanksgiving weekend discount for new paid subscribers. If you’ve been thinking about joining, this is a great moment, and it helps me keep doing this work with clarity, depth, and independence. The offer runs through Cyber Monday: Subscribe here.