Thankful & Rooted

Eight years in, the Co-op feels less like a workplace and more like a long, winding chapter of my own life. I’ve moved through this place in so many roles: café team member, graphic designer, marketing manager, and then back to graphic designer. People here have watched every version of me show up. That history creates a kind of familiarity you can’t fake. Shoppers know how long I’ve been around. Coworkers recognize the effort and care I bring to this place, and I know them just as well as they know me. That mutual recognition is something I’m genuinely thankful for.

I’m thankful for the shoppers who stop to talk to me because they’ve known me since I was making Monument Mountains in the café. I’m thankful for the Owners who tell me straight when something hits right, and when it doesn’t. They trust me enough to be honest, and I value that more than silence or politeness. I’m thankful for the coworkers I see every day, the ones who keep this place steady even when the work gets heavy. Being surrounded by people who care about the Co-op as much as I do makes the days feel purposeful, not draining.

I’m thankful for the local farmers and producers who show up with sincerity, hard work, and products that actually mean something. Their food becomes the meals our community relies on, and being part of that chain still feels significant after all these years. I’m thankful for the rhythm of this place: early mornings, familiar faces, the hum of people choosing good food and supporting something local because it matters.

Mostly, I’m thankful that I get to do work that reflects a community I’m genuinely connected to. This season has a way of pulling that into focus. The Co-op isn’t just where I work; it’s where I’ve grown up professionally, built relationships that feel real, and found a kind of belonging I didn’t expect when I first walked into the job eight years ago.

That’s what I’m thankful for this year.