This Thanksgiving, I want to say thank you to my Gloucester community. I have been a resident for over 40 years. I raised my kids and grandkids in the security of our small town, and more importantly, I found roots.
When I was growing up and for the first part of my adulthood, I was a wanderer. Not because I wanted it, but by virtue of being born into a military family.
I am still grateful for the military life. It forced me to learn to adapt to new situations, make friends quickly, experience different cultures, and look forward to new adventures. Still, my greatest desire was to be planted in a community where I didn’t have to leave. A place where I could say I lived in the same house all my life. A place where I grew up with the same friends, and where relatives lived nearby.
That deep desire was satisfied when I came here. I found a welcoming community of people, forever friends that are still close to me today, and a sense of belonging.
My kids had what I never could have, roots. ...