From the Editors: November 22, 2017

It's when you first hear those jingle bells ... that's when it hits you. Maybe you're at a gas station, or a buying a burrito, or some other everyday activity, but sooner or later it's going to get you. It can't be avoided.

Just hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring-ting-tingling, too.

And like a thousand melted snowmen, it comes flooding right back in a red and green deluge. That dear ol' holiday stress. That pinch in the back of your neck, roughly the size of a roasted chestnut. 

It's now officially time to start making your list and checking it twice. And speaking of which, you know what is nice? Shopping local of course, and one of the best times of the year to do it is Small Business Saturday. Let Miriam Lamey be your personal shopper, as she takes you through a few of the best and easiest ways to support local businesses in and around Erie.

Still, you might not be ready for the holiday season. "That's not fair," you mutter to yourself. "That's not fair at all. There was time now, I had all the time I needed!" you bemoan, like a cursed Twilight Zone bookworm. 

Time enough at last, there is not. But as Thanksgiving passes us by in mere seconds, let's try to squeeze every last drop of grateful gravy out of this bird as we can. 

Erie is moving ahead in new and exciting ways, with new leaders at the helm. On election night, Jim Wertz and Ben Speggen tracked down our new mayor, our re-elected county executive, and our state's first elected transgender official to ask them their thoughts on what we can look forward to in the coming weeks and months. 

There's also enough events these next two weeks to appease every one of your out-of-town family members. We have them all, including a run-down dedicated solely to the night before the big day. 

The more the world continues to pile up on you, the more important it is to be thankful for what we do have. The trick is to do it without being naive, without turning a blind eye to the things we need to fix. One doesn't cancel the other out. There are deep problems in the world and in this community that aren't going away anytime soon. 

A silver lining here is the fact that you can make a difference. 

Erie is not an overwhelmingly huge community. If you shout loud enough, your voice will be heard. If you put the work in, and work well with others, people will notice. 

We're thankful to be a voice for this community as we all work to revitalize our home. 

If you think about it long enough, you're going to find something to be thankful for. Whether it's your friends, your health, or just your ability to read, there's always something. Even when it seems like nothing's going right for you, there's something. Something to hold onto, that sets you apart for the better. A reason to give thanks.