From The Editor: Why I'm Thankful On A Thanksgiving Like No Other

Detroit Lions football is about the only thing that feels normal this Thanksgiving.

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended our lives, shuttered businesses and divided people from all walks of life. Worst of all, it’s led to the deaths of 261,000 Americans and more than 1.4 million worldwide.

Thanksgiving dinner, small or gluttonous, may not feature the whole family this year, at least not in person. Black Friday shopping, no matter how chaotic and frankly unnecessary it might be, certainly won’t be the same, possibly ever again.

But as I’ve said in this space many times over the past several years, I’m fortunate to be able to reflect this time of year on what I am thankful for.

At Benzinga, 2020 was a year like no other Market turmoil and coronavirus confusion left many questions to be answered. We did our best to serve our readers, who in kind returned the favor with the strongest year of readership Benzinga.com has ever had.

Thankful For Zingernation

More than 46 million users have visited Benzinga this year, a 226% increase from 2019. And that doesn’t even count the number of readers who join through our partner networks. Perhaps more importantly, we’ve increased our paying subscribers at an even higher rate -- 416% to be exact.

Our events team was faced with some serious challenges once several shutdown measures hit Michigan and other states. Rather than sit and wait for the unknown, the team pivoted to the virtual space and held more conferences, trading boot camps and cannabis conversations than in any year prior.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. We strive to deliver the most accurate news and quality trading ideas for our readers. We’re not perfect, but we couldn’t be happier with the raving fans we’ve earned in 2020.

Especially fans who send us stuff like this:

Thankful For Family

On a more personal note, I couldn’t have predicted in our wildest dreams the type of year we had. My wife and I kicked off the year by selling our first home and had to wait on pins and needles during the onset of the pandemic to close on our new home. At least we had plenty of time to get the house decorated.

Fast forward to the summer, when our 7 lb, 9 oz bundle of joy joined the family. I never heard the term “girl dad” until this year, but watching her grow every single day is a blessing I’m probably not fully capable of appreciating yet.

It’s not easy having two full-time working new parents in the same household. And I wouldn’t be nearly as sane as I am without the love and PATIENCE my wife grants me every day.

Thankful For Life

In any other year, the death of Kobe Bryant and Ruth Bader Ginsberg, the saga of the “Tiger King” and the Dodgers winning the World Series would be news bites we’d never forget. Yet it doesn’t even feel like these things happened within the last 11 months.

A heated presidential election. Months of social unrest. Proms, football games and graduations canceled.

There’s a lot we’ve missed out on this year, supplanted by pain, frustration and sadness. And there’s sure to be more heartbreak in the months ahead.

But through it all, we do our best to keep our heads held high and our hearts full. And for that, I’ll be forever thankful.