HAPPY THANKSGIVING 2025

Yes, tomorrow is Thanksgiving, but I consider the entire next five days, including today, to be official parts of this holiday. I’ve long referred to tonight as “Thanksgiving Eve,” and I used to throw fabulous get-togethers on it, both at my house with Mr. X and then at the dance clubs I ran, to celebrate. They were always the most fun fetes of the whole holiday season! And I’m still very thankful for those times.

How adorbs!

But now I have something fun in a very different way to be grateful for this year. It’s actually a two-parter of gratitude. First is that I’ve been alive for a little over a decade since my mini-stroke! On top of that bit of luck, (or divine intervention,) my “strokiversary” calls have been going great! As those of you who have read my recent-ish column* about it being ten years since I had my stroke know, the way I’m celebrating my bonus decade of life is to call someone I rarely speak to, (which includes everyone outside of the five or ten people I see all the time,) one a day for this entire year. (But I am taking tomorrow off from the project, as well as Christmas, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, my birthday, Mr. X’s birthday, and Yom Kippur, in that order!) *(If you missed the article, and are curious, here’s the link: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/karens-thanks-its-my-ten-year-strokiversary.)

So far, in these six weeks, everyone has seemed very happy to hear from me. And speaking with them has elevated my soul! I’ve loved it when a few people even said they picked up my “blocked call” because they were hoping that they were that day’s strokiversary call!!! That really warmed my heart. (And gave a bit of a boost to my affected brain!)

To You and Yours!

I’m so thankful to have thought of celebrating my good fortune, (of being alive for so long after the medical incident,) by reaching-out to others, which brought them all into my year-long celebration.

I try to always count my blessings. And in speaking with so many people recently, I realized something else to be thankful for—I’ve never hated any level of my life. That is so lucky! So many people at least hated their high school experience, but I had such a good time back then that I’d be happy to still be there! And I had a good time at all four of my colleges, as well. So that’s just more to be grateful for, at all times, but especially tomorrow, when we officially give thanks.

And I have one more thing to be grateful for right now, which has nothing to do with me! It’s that…Robert Irwin and Witney Carson very deservedly won this season of Dancing With The Stars last night! I love when the right duo wins! And in this case, besides that Robert has become an incredible dancer, with zero previous training, he’s one of the nicest, kindest, most appreciative people I’ve ever seen! He really is the male version of his sister, Bindi, who won this same show a decade ago. What darling people they are! That victory really started-off my weekend of special gratitude in the right way.

Robert Irwin and Witney Carson with their Mirrorball Trophies. Photo by Karen Salkin.

So now, I’m happy to say a heartfelt “thank you” to everyone who reads this e-zine—I always appreciate the support more than you know.

And I wish you all a beautiful and very Happy Thanksgiving! With lots of things to be grateful for.