Thank you.

I grew up in a small town in south central Pennsylvania. A place where there were no shopping mall, two stop lights, a McDonald’s, and an extremely small school district. My town may have been the farthest thing from “the cool place to hang out” or the place everyone knew of when you said that’s where you were from. My hometown may not be full of all of those materialistic things, but my town is full of love, compassion, empathy, and dedication. There is no such thing as being alone in my hometown. No such thing as not having a family or no one to look out for you and care for you. Those who share my hometown have a lot to be thankful for. But we have also been through a lot of tragedy and crisis. A lot of hard times. A lot of sad times. I still, and always will, have so much love for that place I call home. So here is a thank you, to all of you. All of you who make my hometown a great place to call home.

…for being my family and reminding me that I am loved.

I am fortunate enough to have a family beyond my family. Whether it was a school event or community event, I was always surrounded by such loving individuals. I do not know what it is like to experience something alone. And I am so thankful for that. Thankful for you. Thankful for the love.

…for sticking together.

It is not always easy to open up and embrace those around you, especially in the darkest of hours. I am so thankful to have a community and hometown that is reliable and has each and everyone’s back through it all. Even if you may not be best friends, have the same views or were arguing days prior, everyone always supports everyone. Without you, the ups would not be nearly as good and the downs would be ten times worse. So thank you.

…for showing me what it is to have faith.

I oftentimes regret not having spent as much time in the church when I was growing up. Although, with love of my close friends I was able to allow an Almighty God into my life and I could never repay anyone for that. My hometown is held together by the love of The Lord. I have no other being to thank than He for having placed such special people in my life.

…for your compassion.

Not a day goes by that I scroll through my social media and I do not see someone sending love to others, whether it be through prayer, or a simple “Thinking of you”. Sharing my home with such generous and compassionate people is heartwarming. The amount of effort given to make someone smile or to send positive thoughts is astounding.

…for giving me something to miss.

Being away from home is not easy for anyone. It is especially difficult for those who have endless cherished memories in the town that they made their first accomplishments. I am always itching to be surrounded by fields and farms. Something that I miss even more when I’m away…those from my hometown. Friends, family, teachers, mentors, bosses, and all others of the community that make it my home.

…for being strong.

As a whole, our community has been through an enormous amount of unpredictable life experiences. During those times we are all known for wrapping each other up in our arms and sharing love and compassion. We uplift each other and motivate each other, not only through the difficult times, but through the extravagant ones as well. I cannot thank you enough for showing me what it is like to be a part of a community with so much strength.