Gratitude and Thanksgiving
Vonda is flying solo this Thanksgiving week — Lori is away on important family business, moving her father, who has Alzheimer's, from a facility in Oklahoma to be closer to her. That act of love sets the tone for the whole episode: a quiet, heartfelt reflection on what people carry, how our struggles shape us, and why gratitude is worth practicing every single morning.
Everyone is dealing with something
Vonda starts with a shout-out to the industry people who inspire her — like Jacob McCall, who was hit hard by multiple hurricanes himself yet kept showing up to help others, and Michelle Morgan of Kuhn's in Jacksonville, who kept bringing supplies to people through the disaster. Their example points to a bigger truth: everyone is dealing with something, and most of it is invisible.
Her favorite illustration is the airport. Watch people go by and you realize every single one has a story — some are headed to vacations and reunions, others to hospitals, treatments, or funerals. You can't tell which from their faces. Whether you're in an airport or a grocery store, you never know what the person in front of you is carrying, and a simple smile or moment of kindness can change their day.
If everyone put their crosses in a pile
The heart of the episode is a saying you've probably heard: if everyone put their crosses in a pile, you'd take your own back — because it's familiar to you. (If faith language isn't yours, swap in "problems" and the truth holds.) Vonda did what she calls a "Lori deep dive" and found an article by Michael Davis unpacking why the saying resonates.
The grass isn't always greener — social media makes other lives look figured-out, but appearances deceive, and the person whose life looks perfect may be hiding serious struggles. Empathy and perspective remind us we're not fighting alone, which makes everything more manageable — something the floral industry proves over and over, most recently through hurricane relief. And our problems, as tough as they are, promote personal growth and build resilience. Vonda shares her own story: growing up the daughter of a garbage man, getting into playground fights with kids who called her a "garbage rat" — and coming out of it proud of her dad and proud of who she was. Every hardship since has added another layer of toughness. We handle our own problems better than we'd handle anyone else's because we're already halfway inside them; that familiarity is a strength worth appreciating.
A Thanksgiving list worth borrowing
With Thanksgiving arriving, Vonda walks through the things worth giving thanks for: family, friends, and furry friends; health, and not taking it for granted; a warm, safe home — with a prayer for everyone still displaced by the hurricanes in Florida, the Carolinas, and Georgia; faith, which she credits with carrying her through life's hardest seasons; and the everyday miracles we overlook, like food, education, laughter, sunshine, and running water. (Her hairdresser insists running water is the thing she's most thankful for every morning — and Vonda has come around to agreeing.)
She's especially thankful for this industry. After 35 years, she'd challenge anyone to name a more caring one: people helping people financially, finding each other jobs, making the connections that lift careers. Flowers themselves bring beauty and joy, and sharing that is a gift.
Reflections, Elevate, and a morning challenge
Picking up the thread from Renee Tucci's episode last week, Vonda notes that the AIFD Symposium theme this year is "Reflections" — in Palm Springs next July, with registration opening within a couple of weeks — followed by "Elevate" in Orlando in 2026. She loves the arc: reflect on where you've been, then focus on elevating others. Because as we elevate others, we elevate ourselves.
The challenge she leaves listeners with is simple: every morning, before your feet touch the ground, be thankful for at least one thing. Some days it might just be "I woke up this morning." Other days you'll run the whole list. Gratitude, she says, is life-changing — it turns your eyes toward what you have instead of what's going wrong.
Key takeaways
- Everyone you meet is carrying something you can't see — lead with kindness, because a smile can change someone's day.
- You'd take your own problems back from the pile: familiarity with your struggles is itself a strength and a source of resilience.
- Hardship promotes personal growth — look back at what you've survived and recognize how it prepared you for what's next.
- Start every morning by naming at least one thing you're thankful for, before your feet hit the floor.
- Elevating others elevates you — a mindset worth carrying into the holiday season and beyond.