I would be remiss if I didn’t take the opportunity this week to write about just a few of the things I am thankful for this Thanksgiving season.

I reflected on how my life has changed since I first moved to Albert Lea more than nine years ago.

Prior to coming here, I had interviewed with former Managing Editor Tim Engstrom over the phone but had never stepped foot into the community. I did not know a single soul. For some reason, though, I felt good about coming here, was ready for a challenge and wanted to try something new.

My mother and I arrived one September day in 2006 with just my simple carload of belongings.

She stayed for a few days, if not a week, to help me get settled in and to find an apartment, and then she returned home to Virginia as I began my new quest.

It’s crazy to think of all that has happened since that September — the memories I have made, the people I have met and the friends and family who are now a part of my life.

What an amazing nine years it has been.

This week as I gather with my husband, children and a close friend of ours for Thanksgiving, I am grateful for all of the sincere and genuine people I have met in some capacity or another.

In the journalism industry, we meet new people all of the time — and for that I am grateful. While it’s not only interesting to see and meet all sorts of different people, it is fun to learn about their backgrounds and is sometimes life-changing to hear about the challenges they have overcome.

I am thankful to be able to tell their stories to you, our readers. Many of these stories over the years have touched my heart, have been personally inspiring to me and have motivated me to change for the better.

Aside from work, I am grateful for my church family, who time and time again have stepped in to help in the absence of my own extended family who live out of state.

Then there are the teachers and educators for my children, who practice such strong patience and who are cheerful and motivating for my youngsters to want to continue learning and growing.

Not just anyone can be a teacher, and for that I commend you. You are making a difference — in my children and in scores of other lives.

And that’s just a start of my list of people I am thankful for.

Do you believe we meet people at a certain point in time for a reason?

I do.

For those of you who have impacted my journey here in Albert Lea, I thank you.

 

Sarah Stultz is the Tribune’s managing editor. Her column appears every Tuesday.