Be thankful for the “ordinary” things!

  • Published
  • By Col. Jennifer Hammerstedt, 75th Air Base Wing commander
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --  With our first official snowfall on the books, we enter the holiday season!

As we approach Thanksgiving, I am reminded to take a second to reflect on all of the things I have to be thankful for…especially the “ordinary” things.

Often times we are thankful when we have something “extraordinary” happen in our lives — either a hardship that turned out well, or perhaps an unexpected windfall of goodness. The challenge for all of us is being thankful for the “ordinary” things in life — the things that from time to time we all take for granted. Whether that be a great job, a loving family, our health, or an amazing place to live and work. I encourage each of you to take a minute over the holiday and reflect on the “ordinary” things in life you are thankful for. If you share a meal with others on Thanksgiving, or even while at work — take pause for just a few minutes, go around the table or room, and listen to what everyone has to say when you ask them to name something they are thankful for. I think you will be amazed by the responses.

As for me, I am thankful for the opportunity to serve here at Hill Air Force Base, and the opportunity to work alongside such amazing and dedicated Americans. THANK YOU...for choosing to serve, for all you do to help maintain the defense of our nation, and for doing it with a great attitude. I am also thankful for family, friends, and an amazing community that embraces us and supports our mission here.

I am also thankful for those on our team who will be working through the holidays. We have countless operations that work around the clock, 365 days a year — this includes our Defenders at the gates, Boiler Operators in CE, our Fire Departments, our Command Post, and countless other organizations — THANK YOU!

I am also grateful for the men and women who are deployed today. Our fellow Americans are serving around the globe so we can be home this holiday season — THANK YOU!

Finally, as I discussed in last month’s Commander’s Call, please keep in mind that holidays are not always happy times for everyone. In fact, for many struggling with financial or family concerns or painful memories from the past, the holidays can be a very difficult time. Please be aware of this — look out for the warning signals in your Wingman, and don’t walk by a behavior that doesn’t look quite right. You never know when someone needs you to stop them and ask them how they are doing. THANK YOU in advance for being a great Wingman.

Again, THANK YOU for all you do and continue to do for our Air Force and Team Hill — I wish you all a restful, safe, and enjoyable Thanksgiving! May it be filled with many amazing “ordinary” things to be thankful for!

Keep Being Awesome!