ORLANDO, Fla. -- With the Valentine's Day massacre in Parkland and Hurricane Michael's wrath on the Panhandle, Florida is still suffering from a few major and tragic events this past year.

So this Thanksgiving Day is especially powerful for some of your neighbors.

"I come out here, I sit with my dog, and it all goes away," Vince Crawford said. "I live alone. I don't have a family."

We met Crawford at Lake Eola on Thanksgiving morning. He was sitting with his dog Bindi up along the shore.

"I see all of these people in California, and my heart just breaks for them," he told Spectrum News. "So everyone should realize what they have and just be grateful."

"It has been a tough year for a lot of people, so that makes us even closer together," Natalie Melo added, who had just completed the Turkey Trot 5K.

"Even though hate exists, love will continue to exist," Nico Melo said. "And for us, being a family, this time of year is special for everybody."

This reflection is also felt "across the pond."

"I think it's amazing, the resilience and just the friendliness of the people, and we're just looking to embrace your culture on Thanksgiving day, and we feel very grateful to be here," Jane Oglesby said, who is visiting from England.

Little Sophia Melo of Orlando reminds us of the bright side.

"I'm thankful for being able to have the opportunity to be with my family every year and have the money to buy the turkey, and all the foods and everything that we have in our house," she said. 

From all of us here at Spectrum News, have a beautiful and Happy Thanksgiving!