I know Thanksgiving has come and gone, and Christmas is now making its presence known with blaring music and lights everywhere I look, and even the prettiest snowfall, drifting down on this city of mine and creating a hush in the mania. But for those of us trying to fill our lives with gratitude, every day is Thanksgiving day, right? So without further ado…

Dear Tough Decisions, I hate making you, and I love when you are made, much like going for a run. I’m particularly grateful that one of you is in my recent history, and I’m loving the elation of having made the right choice. Love, Relieved

Dear Thanksgiving, While Christmas creeps a little higher on my list of favorite seasons every year, no other holiday shall ever have quite the same nostalgic fuzzies as you do. The huge mountains of food we can hardly even make a proper dent in, the crisp walk down the country lane after the dishes to help the food digest and let the kiddies run off some steam, coming back inside to a cozy house and three kinds of homemade pie and an evening of puzzling and singing random spurts of song with the fam, all mixed in with great conversations, well, it couldn’t be much better. I love you forever and always. Love, Nostalgic

Dear Aunts Everywhere, We really do have the best job in the world, don’t we? When I return to North Carolina and arrive at my destination to be greeted by a flurry of little arms and legs and much yelling and hugging and handmade cards and kiddie drawings, and when even the tiny ones still know my name and are happy to see me, I know I’m the luckiest person around. Love, The Favorite Tia

Dear LaGuardia, you are indeed the armpit of New York City and you’re my least favorite place but also I love you, because time after time you take me to North Carolina to see the faces I love most. Delays aside, I’m pretty glad you are close to my house, and that you have affordable tickets to help ease the niggling homesickness. Love, Overly Travelled

Dear 2019, You have changed me in ways I shall never recover from. Branching out on my own and having to do everything alone for months and months as I forge a new path, well, it tends to put smaller inconveniences and insecurities into proper perspective. Not that I’ve forgotten how to complain about first world problems with the best of them, but I’ve also grown a lot more grateful for things like the way God takes care of you if you let him. Love, Well Cared For

Dear Clarks, Thank you for consistently keeping my feet warm and dry. I lovelovelove my boots I got from you because they’re comfortable and durable and a little odd and vintage, much like me, and I’ve put many many miles on them but they still look only lightly worn. If they could just never ever wear out, that would be fantastic, thank you. Love, Well Shod (and a little blurry)

Dear Spiced Chai Lattes, I don’t know why it took me so long to get on board with you, but now that I have, can we please be friends forever? Also if somebody wants to sponsor me to find the best chai in the city, I’d be willing to do the sacrifice of traveling to every borough and drinking of every ilk of chai in the name of research. Just sayin’. Love, Well Nourished

Dear New York City, Thank you for taking me into your capacious bosom and not throwing me out. We’ve had our ups and downs, our exultant moments and our tears, but I’m afraid you’ve kind of ruined me for anywhere else. You like doing that, don’t you? You’re everything I hoped and more. Love, The Big Apple Pineapple

A Year Ago:

Little Letters, Thanksgiving 2018

Two Years Ago:

Little Letters

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