Sometimes, it’s not easy to see your blessings. Sometimes our blessings, though many, can be hidden beneath the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Dealing with the challenges of work and family can obscure all those things we have for which we should be thankful. But most of us are blessed.

Now is a great time to take stock in our blessings, and I’ve been doing some of that this week. My list of woes and worries pales when I take an accounting of the many things for which I have to be grateful. My balance sheet is heavy in blessings.

I’m thankful for the usual things: My health, family and friends.

I’m thankful for my job and the many dedicated, caring, talented people with whom I work. In most situations, we spend as much time with our co-workers as we do members of our family — sometimes more.

We’ll have our company Thanksgiving luncheon on Tuesday. We’re closing our office that day from noon to 1:30 p.m. so we can sit down together and enjoy a meal.

I am so fortunate to work with the people I do, and it doesn’t take Thanksgiving to make me realize that. Some have worked at this newspaper for decades. Some are just beginning their careers here. I have learned much from all of them.

I’m thankful our newspaper, website and magazine are healthy, strong and growing and devoted to our community. It is those things because the people who produce it every day are residents of Vicksburg and Warren County, pay taxes here, belong to civic groups and churches and spend their money at grocery stores and retailers and care about the welfare of our community.

I am thankful for our readers. When considering the people who subscribe to or buy our printed paper from a news rack or dealer daily, combined with the thousands who read our stories and see our photos on our website, through our electronic edition or through our social media sites or who subscribe or read our magazine, The Vicksburg Post’s reach in this community is greater than it ever has been. On Facebook alone, we have just shy of 17,000 followers — one of the largest audiences of any entity in the area.

I received an email this week from Georgia Lynn, director of the Vicksburg-Warren County Humane Society. In April 2016, I reached out to Georgia and offered to publish a pet of the week feature in our newspaper to try to help out with placing adoptable pets needing a forever home. Since that time, Georgia has sent weekly a photo and information about a pet or two to publish in our newspaper.

Georgia’s email to me this week reported that 64 of the 70 pets we’ve published as pets of the week found homes after being featured in our newspaper. Any way you look at it, that’s an impressive statistic, and our readers are who made that happen. I’m so thankful for you all.

Last week we began featuring pets from the Vicksburg Animal Shelter, too.

A couple of weeks ago we decided to have a little fun and teamed up with Corner Market and gave away 10 turkeys through a reader contest called the Turkey Tangle. Readers had to unscramble the names of 23 business sponsors who helped us with that contest.

We were overwhelmed with the response. Almost 300 readers played the Turkey Tangle and submitted entries. Our winners met up at our office on Thursday evening, picked up their certificates for a free turkey and posed for a photo together, which we’ll publish this week. All asked us to continue reader puzzles and contests, and we certainly will.

Like most years, this one has had its challenges and hard decisions, but it’s been a year of growth and one that has us pointed in the right direction.

I look forward to this time next year and again counting my blessings along with you.

Jan Griffey is general manager of The Vicksburg Post. You may reach her at jan.griffey@vicksburgpost.com.