As we approach Thanksgiving, there’s a lot of talk about what we’re most thankful for even though we should be grateful year-round.

Especially now, through this pandemic, I’m realizing the importance of the small things in life. That’s why I’d like to take this opportunity to talk about some of the things I’m grateful for.

First and foremost, I’m very grateful for my wife Ashley and my son Jaxson. There was a time in my life when I started to see my dream of having a family disappearing. I started to think I was meant to be a bachelor. Then it all sort of happened. Love led the way and brought with it a son, fulfilling my longtime dream of being a father.

I try to live up to the examples of my own parents, Harry and Cheryl Welch. They’ve always been supportive of everything I’ve done throughout the years, still attending my concerts to this day. My dad is still quick to help me carry drum gear, even at 70 years old.

I’m also very thankful for my mom and my mother-in-law, Lisa Nelson, for stepping in to help with Jaxson when needed.

I’m thankful that my siblings Gabriel Welch, Dominic Welch and Lacey Ruiz remain close. We may not see each other as often as we’d like, but we still laugh about old memories and joke around like adolescents. Being the oldest, I’ve always felt responsible for these guys. And I’m very proud of them all.

And where would I be without my friends and bandmates? Thanks for the great games of golf, all the music we’ve made, the memories and for helping to provide a great creative outlet all these years.

Lastly, I’m very grateful for our Life After 50 readers, who pick up our publication each and every month. In my 20-plus-year career, I’ve never heard so many pleasant things, read so many nice emails and met so many amazing people like I have working for this publication. Thank you.

Honor the veterans in your life

November is also the month we recognize our veterans. I’d usually say shake a veteran’s hand, but since we’re social distancing, thank them from afar.

I’d like to honor the veterans in my family: my father Harry; uncles Jerry Welch, Richard Welch and Wayne Cornett; and my dearly departed grandfather, Charles Cornett.

Speaking of veterans, this month’s cover story is about Betty Cain, a proud U.S. Navy veteran who advocated for service women, cooked for astronauts at NASA, fought workplace injustices and gave grieving parents a voice.

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We want to hear from you!

We’re thankful for all the kind comments we’ve received about our new format. Please keep them coming!

We’d love to see what you’ve been up to these past few months. If you have a photo or story you’d like to share with us, please email me at Anthony@LAFifty.com. (Your photo could appear on our Table of Contents page. Please include a few sentences about the photo along with the names of any people in it.)