What does Thanksgiving mean you?
Great question! A lot of people have become immune to Thanksgiving, shifting all of their focus to Christmas instead. I make it a habit for me and my family to acknowledge the day while basking it in as well. Thanksgiving Day is a time to wake up smelling great food in the oven and hearing the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade playing in the background of all of the fuss. It’s a day where you can take a moment before lunch, find somewhere quiet, and simply reflect on how much we truly have to be thankful for. It’s something we don’t do often enough.
Jessica Phillips
O! How Cute Boutique & Gifts
Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful for health, family and friends. It 
is a time to reflect on the past year’s gifts and thank the Lord for all we have. I am truly blessed with the family, friends and co- workers that encourage & lift me up daily. I am forever grateful for the memories I have with friends who passed away in 2019. Thanksgiving is truly a time of reflection and gratitude.
Ginger Jones
Director of Counseling & Student Support Services
Rankin County School District
Thanksgiving has long meant gathering around the television watching the parade and trying to get a sneak preview of dad’s turkey and mom’s desserts. We eventually are gathered around the dining room table stacked with all meats, centuries old casserole recipes, desserts with secret ingredients, a number of immediate and distant family members, and even a friend or two whose families might not be in town. We often recall nostalgic memories from our past, and 
unsuccessfully try our best to relive them. Everyone starts asking questions, only to quickly turn to another family member and not listen to the answer to their question. Then after everyone slows down and the desserts are settling in…the men head into the den to watch a little football, while the ladies determine who draws names for Christmas gifts. Soon thereafter, we head to the Egg Bowl for the rest of the evening. Upon returning from the game and passionately discussing how to improve the losing team for next season, we get into the leftovers from lunch (mainly Sondra’s infamous chocolate pie). We hug one another good night and share some more laughs about those family members not present (like all good families do). I often drive back to my home listening to Christmas music thinking of what life would be like had I grown up in another family. I quickly thank the Lord for who I am surrounded by: Family. Friends. Church Family. Community.
Johnny Beck
Vice President of Retail Banking
Origin Bank
For me, Thanksgiving means a lot of things. Most of my family is back in Oklahoma City, so Thanksgiving is spent with a huge number of in-laws while checking in with my own over the phone. It’s a time of longing for me, because I miss my folks a lot. A lot of people I’m close to tend to be scattered to the four winds most of the year, whether we’re related or not, so a new tradition my husband and I have been trying to start is our own Friendsgiving! We won’t be able to swing it this year, but last year was my first time ever cooking a turkey myself, and it was not only perfectly edible, it was delicious! I think that bodes well for the years to come.
Kayla Martin-Gant
Reference & Genealogy Supervisor
Brandon Public Library
Thanksgiving is a time to spend with the people I am most thankful for.
Trey Rein
Head Principal
Brandon Middle School
I have so many things to be thankful for! Those things at the top of my long list are my wonderful family and friends and for the birth of Jesus Christ! I’m also very thankful that I live in a great community where I always feel safe and that the people truly care about each other. I am thankful that we live in a free country and that we are free to worship however we choose. I am thankful for a wonderful career and that I love what I do every day. I could go on and on.
Kim Edwards
Realtor
Hopper Properties
I am thankful for the quality and number of good people who reside in Brandon and choose to call this city home. These residents are the type of people who bring a high quality of life to our community through their involvement in churches and schools, caring for one another as neighbors and friends.
I pray this Thanksgiving, everyone in Brandon will be actively thankful for one another, as there is much each of us should be thankful for.
Butch Lee
Mayor – City of Brandon MS
Thanksgiving is a time for family togetherness, where you can get together and enjoy fellowship with one another as well as a delicious meal! Most of all, we all need to be thankful for even the smallest thing, because it’s easy to take every day graces for granted. Thanksgiving also falls very close to my birthday, which I have always loved! The best present I could ever receive is the opportunity to see all of my family, as well as friends, and the endless amounts of casseroles and turkey!
Jessica Flood
Chief Deputy – Land Records
Rankin County Chancery Clerk