Giving Thanks

Many here at PPLV have their minds on thankfulness this week. It’s long been my favorite holiday - though the reasons why have changed over the years. Growing up, it was a favorite because of the big crowds of people my mom and dad would have at our house. We brought in picnic benches to line around the dinner table and everyone squished in tight, “elbows and a-holes”, my dad would say.

The food, of course, was a big factor, too. Food was often a uniting, happy factor in our house. Whether it was homemade breads from my dad or meats and sauces from my mom, they made it a place people wanted to come and enjoy themselves. My dad taught himself to cook later in his 30’s and his food was so revered people asked if he would open his own bakery or pizzeria. But he only did it for the love of it.

Now that I have my own family and we, sadly, live hundreds of miles away from my parents, we are making new traditions. I’m blessed to have my wife’s family around the corner, so we gather with large groups there now - and food is still the centerpiece.

But on a larger note, it’s “the reason for the season” that I appreciate more than ever. At a time when people in our country seem more polarized than ever, the ability to come together and sit and enjoy a meal together is truly a blessing.

The classic tropes of Thanksgiving would tell you to be careful of political talk - and I’ve experienced those types of holidays. But, thankfully, though I could clearly identify some different types around the table yesterday, there was nary an argument.

So on to my thankfulness here, specifically with PPLV. It was about a year ago when this group kicked its first “Big” idea into high gear: the Movement Fair. The idea was simple - bring together the talents and people making an impact on the PD community in Las Vegas and put them under one roof - Martie’s Rock Steady Boxing, to be exact. Just the simple act of bringing people together to share food, some activity and what is going on in our community - that was it. It was our first group test and we passed with flying colors.

In January 2018, we had what could be called an off-season Thanksgiving of our own that is now shaping up to happen again in 2019. It will be bigger, as we have grown - for which, again, I am truly thankful.

As PPLV continues to evolve and become, I am thankful for my team here, as well as every person who takes a few minutes to check in with us daily. We will continue to bring you our lives and ask that you do the same so we can keep moving forward powerfully side by side.

— written by Robert Cochrane