This year has been tough. Many people haven’t been able to see friends and family, and many lost jobs or loved ones.
We’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on everything we’ve learned and experienced this year, and while there’s a lot to lament, there’s also a lot to be grateful for. In honor of Thanksgiving, we’re exploring and sharing our gratitude in this post.
What Are We Thankful For?
While we are thankful for lots of things, we felt the following deserved a special shout-out.
Essential Workers
First and foremost, we thank essential workers from the bottom of our hearts. While we always have a lot of esteem for those who work tirelessly in service of others, our admiration and respect skyrocketed during this year.
Not only did they have to deal with their own emotions, struggles, and issues, but they selflessly dealt with all of ours as well. Doctors, nurses, first responders, pharmacy employees, teachers, and those working in food and other essential industries, we thank you!
Our Customers
As a video hosting platform, we work with customers from a very wide range of industries. It’s been truly inspiring to see how video has helped many adapt to the new normal of remote work.
We are extremely grateful for every single one of our customers. We could not do any of this without you. Whether you’re new, or have been with us for years, thank you!
Live Video/Video Chats
Live video and video chatting have been a huge part of our professional and private lives this year. On the personal side of things, we couldn’t tell you the number of video chats we’ve done on evenings and weekends with those we can’t see in person. Live video always makes remote communications more fun and more personal, and we are grateful to be alive in a time where technology makes it possible.
And on the professional side of things, we launched the first iteration of our live streaming features earlier this year, and it’s been amazing to see so many companies use it to creatively keep their businesses going during the pandemic. We’ve had a back-stage peek at theater companies using live video to reach their audience, fitness instructors streaming classes to help their clients stay healthy, and a surprising number of other businesses quickly adopt it as part of their marketing and business practices.
Online Video
Admittedly, we’re a bit biased since online video is the core of our business, but it seems just about everyone has benefited from online video during this time. Whether it was a phenomenon like Tiger King back in March, or watching the presidential debates in the fall, it’s safe to assume our video consumption habits have increased this year, and we are 100% okay with that.
Video has a special quality of transporting you out of the present and into a different experience. With a year like this, that was exactly what so many of us needed.
The Human Spirit
In a year where just getting out of bed is an accomplishment, we’re incredibly grateful for the resiliency of the human spirit. If nothing else, this year has taught us that even when the world throws tragedy after tragedy at you, we can still come out of it standing.
We also saw this in the overwhelming number of people who selflessly continued doing things for others during this time. From COVID-relief funds, to people getting groceries for their elderly neighbors, it’s inspiring to see people step up.
Friends and Family
Many of us here and around the country couldn’t be with our friends and family in person for most of the year. However, that didn’t stop us from leaning on them for support. Having good people around us physically and virtually has been the gift that keeps giving.
It is interesting that even from afar, relationships can strengthen and deepen. Whether that’s texting, calling, messaging co-workers on Slack, or video chatting as mentioned before, our friends and family have been our rock throughout this year.
The City of New York
New York is the city SproutVideo calls home. While you may have heard stories about the city being “dead,” or that it will never recover from 2020, we’d beg to differ. One of the main reasons so many people move to New York, ourselves included, is for its grittiness and resilience.
Make no mistake, this has been a very tough time. An unfortunate number of small businesses and restaurants have closed their doors, and won’t be able to reopen. But, the city will bounce back.
Adapting to changing situations is what we do best. Whether that is ordering way too much food to support local restaurants, cheering on essential workers, or watching the city transform the streets to accommodate outdoor seating, we will find a way to make it work. NYC might be a bit less crowded at the moment, but the future is brighter because of those determined to stay, and we’re forever grateful for that.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Stay safe these holidays so we can all toast extra hard this New Year’s when we get to put 2020 behind us.
Don’t be a stranger; let us know what you’re thankful for this year.
