Today, I’m thankful for friends, family and a decent fall TV lineup. But one November, I primarily praised the value of a good punching bag.

I got dumped on Thanksgiving.

Now in the name of fairness, I’ll note the actual event happened three days before the holiday.

And in retrospect, I carry some level of blame -- perhaps in letting my Black Friday shopping plans blind me to the relationship’s upcoming demise.

Either way, I somehow ended up blubbering when I should have been gobbling.

It’s not exactly an ideal situation.

You must contend with the seasonal onset of engagement ring commercials, which are hard enough to tolerate without heartbreak in the equation.

When you’re fresh off a breakup, a reminder that every kiss begins with Kay ranks right beside the cringe-worthy power of “it’s not you, it’s me.”

Then, of course, there’s Thanksgiving’s inherent focus on relationships.

If you’re not gushing about the abundance of love in the world, you’re entertaining inquiries about your lack of a romantic companion.

How did I survive?

I didn’t. I’ll spend most of today making voodoo dolls out of stuffing and using crushed cranberries to symbolize my crushed heart.

Just kidding.

In my Thanksgiving breakup’s aftermath, I naturally sought assistance from my support network. It was likely the only month I exceeded the allotted minutes on my cell phone plan.

During our conversations, they recited the usual mix of Kelly Clarkson lyrics and chick lit-inspired affirmations.

There was also some tough love -- reminders that amid my relationship blubbering, some people were desperately searching for a place to have Thanksgiving dinner.

Naturally, it wasn’t what I wanted to hear.

I was convinced there was no greater Thanksgiving tragedy and the entire universe should stop to mourn the deletion of my cell phone’s No. 1 contact.

But I still had family, friends and a permanent place at a Thanksgiving table.

Ultimately, I really did survive.

I showed up to Thanksgiving dinner and participated in holiday traditions that have maintained a sense of permanence amid death, job losses and -- of course -- heartache.

That was years ago.

However, I still can’t pass a holiday season without vividly remembering the November when engagement ring commercials made me cry.

So today, I’ll celebrate the value of a good social circle while appreciating a resilience that transcends the power of other people’s actions.

And if I build a voodoo doll out of stuffing, it’ll be purely to ensure I’m always this thankful.

Sonya Sorich, reporter, can be reached at ssorich@ledger-enquirer.com or 706-571-8516.