A note from Kim: There is so much to be grateful for

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Thanksgiving has always been about family, tradition and gratitude. I think of my father carving the turkey with his big Russian hands and showing me exactly how to do it. My mother always made the turkey until she couldn’t anymore and I took over. We recorded how she did it two weeks before she was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in 2017, her face and voice with instructions that I will remember forever.

Technology has entered Thanksgiving, but instead of replacing memories, it adds to them. Here are a few technical things I’m grateful for and how they help me bring a piece of the past into the present.

My iPhone 16 Pro Max

Remember when a quarter for a payphone was your lifeline? Dad would give me one before I left the house. Today, it’s my iPhone, my camera for capturing memories and making video calls, my connection to my long-distance family, and my assistant for getting things done.

Smart speakers

Aunt Patty was the unofficial family entertainer, part comedian and part Patsy Cline wannabe. Damn, she could sing “Crazy.” Today, Alexa has taken on some of those roles, including making music, telling jokes, and answering quizzes.

Cloud storage

Videos of my mother are stored securely in the cloud where I can view them at any time. It’s not just a Thanksgiving recipe; It’s her voice, her smile and my heart, forever.

Big screen TV

Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without football. I remember us all huddling around a tiny television and adjusting the antenna on the roof to take a picture. Now it’s all about the big screen, where we can see every blade of grass and every questionable phone call in HD.

This is not technology

Every Thanksgiving, I break out my grandmother’s old aluminum roasting pan to make her stuffing. There’s something magical about using the same pan as her, surrounded by the smells and laughter that have filled my family’s kitchens for generations.

I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to all the incredible people working this holiday: the doctors, nurses, paramedics, firefighters, police officers and military personnel who protect and care for us; to the restaurant staff, grocery store workers, and delivery drivers who keep us fed; to the pilots, flight attendants and transportation workers who help families stay together; and to the utility workers and IT professionals who keep us connected. We are deeply grateful for everything you do to make this day possible for the rest of us.

What’s wrong with you? What technical (or non-technical) things are you grateful for this year? I would love to hear your stories. From my family, I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Tags: Apple iPhone 16, family, gratitude, smart speakers, smart TVs, Thanksgiving