This past weekend I was able to spend four days away from the usual routine of things to be with family and friends as we celebrated Thanksgiving. When you’re younger, Thanksgiving always seemed to be about eating a lot of food, sitting at “the kids’ table,” and trying to entertain yourself until the adults stopped talking (which usually took a while). Now that I have outgrown “the kids’ table” I look forward to being with family and friends each year.
This year I reconnected with family who I hadn’t seen in years. I have been keeping up with people through email and social media, but seeing them in person is so much better. In one day, I visited three homes and got to hear about how everyone has been and what they are up to. I am grateful to have such a loving and supportive network of family and friends.
In many ways the Miss America Organization is like a family. The relationships that I have made over the past two years through my involvement in the Miss Grand Forks pageant and the Miss North Dakota pageant have positively influenced my life in many ways. Preparing to compete in MAO pageants involves one of the most challenging balancing acts I have ever attempted. My pageant “family” is often the only group who understands that balancing family, friends, school, work, exercise, extracurricular activities, volunteering, speaking events, and various other activities that come up is not always an easy task. This year I am thankful for not only the friends and family who have always been by my side supporting me in everything that I do, but I am also thankful for good friends who have come into my life in the past couple of years. I hope I can keep developing these friendships, and I look forward to forming new relationships as I continue my journey as Miss Empire 2012.
Stephanie Erickson
Miss Empire 2012
