“Be grateful for what you already have while you pursue your goals. If you aren’t grateful for what you already have, what makes you think you would be happy with more?” — Roy T. Bennett, “The Light in the Heart”

I don’t know as I write this precisely which columns will appear alongside this one on our Saturday Commentary pages.

Nor do I know what subjects those columns will explore.

But, chances are, this being the last Saturday before Thanksgiving, you’re reading a lot about gratitude today.

Not to pile on, but I want to explore the same subject.

Specifically, I want to express my gratitude for all of you, dear Northeast Michigan.

About seven years ago, after another wonderful trip Up North from Lansing to visit Alpena, Darby’s hometown and still home for much of her family, I looked Darby in the eye and said full-heartedly for the first time, “Why don’t we move there?”

Few decisions have made me happier.

First, I must express gratitude to Bill Speer, my predecessor as News publisher, and Steve Murch, who preceded me as managing editor, for hiring Darby and me and giving us the means to move north. Their decision allowed me to live where I wanted to live while continuing my journalism career.

Thanks go to Murch for showing me the ropes in my first Alpena gig as managing editor up in the newsroom, and to Diane Speer, former News Lifestyles editor, for patiently training up Darby to take her place. Bill Speer also graciously showed me how to be publisher when he retired and I moved into the downstairs office in 2021.

But, since those early Alpena days that beautiful July in 2018, I have come to appreciate the entirety of this community, from its natural beauty to its good-hearted people to its hardworking leaders to my incredible staff here at The News.

I am glad I get to swim in Lake Huron and Hubbard Lake every summer. When I lived downstate, I had to drive several hours to reach a Great Lake, and the inland lakes available were smaller and less clear.

I am glad I can head into the nearby quiet woods any time the day-to-day stress burns too hot. We had woods downstate, but there was no escaping the constant noise of traffic.

I am glad I can look out my kitchen window into the neighbor’s small apple orchard and watch the deer getting their fill (we had deer downstate, but not as many and they weren’t visible as frequently). I have also looked out at that same window and watched a fox playfully teasing my dog from the other side of the fence.

I am especially grateful for the numerous times I’ve spotted a bald eagle soaring overhead, which had been a bucket-list item of mine since I was a boy.

I am most grateful for Northeast Michigan’s people and what they do for their community.

Firstly, I am of course grateful for each and every one of you reading this piece and especially grateful for everyone reading it after paying to have it delivered to your home or for online access. This community continues to support its local paper — and not one or two but three other local weeklies — and the work this paper does to chronicle Northeast Michiganders’ stories and report on what works and doesn’t so you can better know how to get involved.

And get involved you do.

In the past six-and-a-half years, the generosity of this community has never ceased to amaze me. You meet every fundraising goal for every worthy cause, happily support property taxes for seniors and parks and youth programs, and give bountifully of your time to numerous service clubs and charitable groups.

You eagerly support local businesses as much as possible.

In short, you make this community not only survive but thrive, and I am grateful to be a part of that.

We don’t see eye to eye politically or culturally all the time, but (for the most part) each Northeast Michigander remains kind and courteous to his or her neighbor, welcoming to strangers, and supportive of one another.

You quickly made Northeast Michigan home to me, and then showed me time and again how awesome that home is, and I give thanks for that.

Finally, I am grateful to work with the most amazing team in journalism.

From the customer service reps welcoming you when you walk in the front door of The News to the advertising consultants helping local businesses thrive to the newsroom crew cranking out quality journalism to the press and mailroom teams keeping our quality high and getting papers out the door on time to our carriers who fan out in wind, rain, snow, or sleet to get the papers to you on time, every member of The News team punches above his or her weight and impresses me every day.

And I am grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving, Northeast Michigan, and thank you for being you.

Justin A. Hinkley can be reached at 989-354-3112 or jhinkley@thealpenanews.com. Follow him on X @JustinHinkley.