Two weeks ago, the world lost an icon as longtime Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek passed away after a lengthy battle with Stage IV pancreatic cancer. Trebek had just wrapped up filming a number of episodes of the show he hosted for decades, which will run through early January before the show begins airing new episodes with a series of guest hosts, starting with Ken Jennings.
On Thanksgiving, one of Trebek’s new episodes will air and in it he offers a powerful message about what to be thankful for even amid a year like 2020 in which so many things have gone wrong.
High on our list of things to be thankful for this year: Alex's Thanksgiving message from today's show. We hope you have a safe and happy Thanksgiving! pic.twitter.com/8OlpkSGi9r
— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) November 26, 2020
“Happy Thanksgiving, ladies and gentleman,” Trebek says. “In spite of what America and the rest of the world is experiencing right now, there are many reasons to be thankful. There are more and more people extending helping hands to do a kindness to their neighbors, and that’s a good thing. Keep the faith, we’re going to get through all of this, and we are going to be a better society because of it.”
It is a perspective that I think many need to hear as we all seek some kind of optimism in such a dreadful year, and for Trebek to provide it, even as he was in the throes of his battle with cancer is just further evidence of his incredible ability to be a calming and welcome voice to people, one that is sorely missed.
