Maplewood Business Owners Give Thanks

As a self-proclaimed pessimist and cynic, the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday is a welcome break to my glass-half-empty outlook. The expectation that I reflect on the blessings in my life, big and small, is exactly what I need to set aside my naysayer tendencies for a few days. 

"Thankfully", giving thanks comes much easier (and more frequently) to the rest of Maplewood! I asked Maplewood business owners and their employees what they were thankful for this year and received many responses, including those listed below. Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving to all!

I’m thankful for the many blessings in my life: wonderful friends and family, two adorable dogs, a rewarding career, and an incredible community. Above all, I’m thankful to be sharing this journey with the lovely Gwendolyn Ragno. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Ryan Martin, Patch.com

I am thankful for all of those people who have enriched my life over the years. Each of them, in their own way, have helped to mold and shape me into the person I am today. I look forward to spending time with friends and family over the holiday season and taking time to appreciate all that life has to offer us. Sometimes life is all too short and we forget to take time from our busy schedules to appreciate the simple things in life and to let our loved ones know just how much they mean to us.
Ron Jagels, Edward Jones

This Thanksgiving I’m thankful for family and friends.  Throughout the year, they have been there for the support and guidance!
Kari Kraichely,

My family, each and every one of them!
Stacey Demos, Frontenac Engineering Group

We are thankful to be in a place in our lives where we work with great people, have loving families, are healthy, and enjoy what we do everyday.  This year we are excited to sponsor a family to make sure they can have an enjoyable holiday season.  And if I am being honest, I am thankful for mashed potatoes! Adam Kruse, The Hermann London Group

I’m thankful to be part of such a talented and ambitious team of people, with countless opportunities to put my skills to great use, doing what I love every day.
Carol Mertz,

I’m thankful for good health and for the successful year we’ve had at Moosylvania and at Hatch. We’ve been blessed to the point of being able to give back to the community efforts for Joplin and for Joe’s Place. We’re filling shopping carts this month for a local food pantry, so as we continue to give we receive much in return!
Sharon Ayers,

As a business owner I’m thankful this holiday season for belonging to such a supportive community.  I also cherish all of the employees and patrons that have built our reputation into what it currently is today.  Staff members play such an integral role in any customer experience, and I’ve very thankful for their diligent work ethic day in and day out. On a personal level I’m very thankful for the many wonderful relationships I’m lucky enough to have developed and hopefully strengthened over the past year.  Because at the end of the day, the relationships in our life are truly what matter most, and often times this is easy to lose sight of.
Adrian Glass,

I am most thankful for God, followed by my health and that of my family and friends. I am also grateful that I live in the greatest country in the world and for the military who make it possible. Finally, I am most appreciative for coffee, red wine, keyless entry, QuikTrip, radio stations that don’t play Christmas music, Pat Trout, sea salt caramels from Kakao Chocolate and signs that the skinny jean fad is over.
Jeannine Beck,