Thanksgiving really is the season to be thankful.

We know this time of year can be wonderful, but it can also be a bit stressful, taking away from the real meaning of the holidays. Spending time with family could be great, but it could be filled with questions you don’t really want to answer. You could cook that turkey to perfection, or it could be so dry it sucks all the moisture from your mouth. And you could feel ready to take on the world after eating a very lean meat, or you could ask everyone at the dinner table to poke you with a fork you are so full. There are lots of unknowns around the holidays, but taking some time to reflect is important.

The thing that gets missed most as we head into this season is the importance of taking in stock in what we are gifted, not in the form of presents, but in other ways. Sure, all the things listed above can cause some stress and strain, but at the end of the day we all have things in our lives we can be thankful for. Trying to reflect on all the things in life you are grateful for may in fact ease some of the holiday tension.

We get so wrapped up in the stress of it all: buying gifts, over spending, fussing over things that at the end of the day don’t really matter. Taking stock in what we do have, matters. Taking a minute to ask yourself what you are grateful for most, matters.

For some, they are thankful for the time they get to spend with family, both blood related and chosen. Human connection is so important, so being able to take the time to travel home to visit parents and grandparents, even if it’s just about cooking and seeing friends, can make a happy heart.

For others it may be having the chance to put their feet up, spend time with their children, curl up with a good book or pick up a new cookbook, bake things that remind them of their childhood, or take to the woods for some serenity. Maybe it even means working, for some. It gives them a chance to give back to others and spend it with good company from so many walks of life. We help so many families with people who work in the food industry, and we want to make sure people know we are here for them, and here to give back to them.

Our company was founded on the foundations of giving back. Ensuring that everyone could get the training and certifications that they needed, no matter the cost. Our founder knew what the food industry paid an entry level employee and knew that many other training companies cost a pretty penny that some could not afford. We were established to help, to be your friend in the process, to help you get through the tough times with some ease and peace of mind.

As a company, we are grateful for those hard workers in the food and beverage industry, we are grateful for the bread winners in a family, we are grateful for parents who work to help feed and nurture their children. We are grateful to all our teachers, teaching the children of the future, and to the business that are making the world a better place.

We are grateful for our customers, our consumers and our friends. We wish we could invite you all to our dinner table this holiday season. Thank you for your trust in us, and Happy Holidays.