Editor’s Letter: It’s the season of gratitude and counting your blessings
Michele Walker, Orlando magazine editor (ROBERTO GONZALEZ)
“Gratitude opens the door, the power, the wisdom, the creativity of the universe. You open the door through gratitude.” Deepak Chopra
As we move to the end of 2022, there are so many things for which to be grateful. We feel gratitude for our family, friends, homes, and good health. Recently, the World Health Organization announced the end of the COVID pandemic is in sight as we see a drop in deaths. The team at Orlando magazine is thankful for you, our readers.
It’s time for our November issue, which means one thing: Orlando magazine’s Annual Dining Awards. Central Florida certainly shines in the area of food and drink. This year we are featuring selections of the finest eateries in Central Florida by readers in 58 categories, with everything from Best Restaurant to a look at your Sentimental Favorites and a look back at a restaurant many old-time Orlando natives miss the most.
It’s also the season of giving, so we offer not one, but two giving guides. Our Gift Guide is a fabulous resource for that hard-to-shop-for loved one who has everything. You’ll also find a Giving Guide with a list of non-profits and organizations that work tirelessly 365 days a year to help those in need.
Elsewhere in this issue, George Diaz sits down with Opera Orlando’s CEO and general director, the Grammy Award-winning baritone Gabriel Preisser who discusses his mission to make opera accessible and relevant. We also take a look at two holiday festivals, the fifth annual FusionFest in downtown Orlando and the Orlando Museum of Arts Festival of Trees; jolly holiday events that are sure to put you in the spirit for the upcoming season of joy.
On behalf of Orlando magazine, I would like to extend our warmest wishes for a loving and happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones. May this day be a wonderful reminder of life’s best and most important things.
