What we're grateful for

Last night, we asked you to tell us what you're thankful for. You sent hundreds of inspiring responses from across the country and around the world.

• Here's a selection of those notes. And look for more of them in Mike's Axios AM newsletter tomorrow.

💞 "I am grateful for the circularity of kindness, in every form, all over the world this year.

• "In Medellin, Colombia, a woman on a motorcycle who was clearly in a rush, dropped everything to make sure my friend and I could make it home safely before dark. In a tiny town in Chicama, Peru, a local hostel manager brought me to four different hospitals and acted as my advocate, after I broke open my head in a surf accident."
• "At a coffee shop in San Diego, a man bought me a croissant because he was so appreciative of my patience with an elderly couple. In Cascades National Park, two groups of women squeezed in tight to turn two parking spaces into 3 so that I would have a safe space to sleep for the night. In Playa Venao, Panama, a stranger (now friend) offered me her home for a week." —Alana Carmel, San Diego

📚 "I'm grateful to see my son mature into his best self in his first year at college. He's learning to manage his autism and his anxieties along with his course load at Salem State University." —Dominique Blessing, Hyannis, Mass.

🚗 "I am grateful that I had enough money to buy a new car after Hurricane Helene destroyed my other — practically new — car. The insurance company gave me about enough to buy a '78 Ford Fiesta." —Barbara Wunder McAslan, Treasure Island, Fla.

🩺 "I'm grateful for Dr. Krishna Pachipala and Dr. Jason Berilgen for saving my life. In January, I was diagnosed with stage four metastatic melanoma in my left lung and in my brain. Thanks to their collective efforts, the 1.5" brain tumor is gone and the 2.5" lung tumor has shrunk 80%."

• "There are no words big enough to express the magnitude of gratitude I have for my cancer-conquering wingmen and their team at the Woodlands Cancer Institute." —Jim Olson, The Woodlands, Texas

🎊 "A couple of months ago, I unexpectedly met a guy at a friend's wedding. After years of wondering if I was too old, or too set in my ways, to have feelings for anyone, he came along and proved me wrong. No matter where this goes, I'm thankful to him for reactivating my heart." —Wen Qiu, Tianjin, China

🚰 "I try not to take even the basics for granted. So every day, I'm thankful for clean air, access to clean water and fresh produce, and a home over my head, as well as the health of my extended and immediate family and friends. And, of course, I'm so thankful for my 15-month-old son, who is pure joy." —Pooja Kothari, McLean, Va.

🎂 "Today is my birthday, which meant years of dreaded road trips and a candle in the pumpkin pie growing up. Now I wouldn't trade a holiday birthday for anything. The greatest gift is time with family gathered from the far corners." —Beth Wall, Pawleys Island, S.C.