The season of Thanksgiving is all about gratitude and two women here in South Florida are thankful for a unique opportunity they can share, thanks to their very special bond.

The couple’s names are Kennedi Duke and Tanisha Cidel.

Duke attended Norland Middle School and had a talent for singing. At age 11, she joined Evolutionary Arts, Cidel’s nonprofit organization, which aims to foster a love of art in children.

And then their bond began.

“She is just so ridiculously talented, and I wanted to mentor her beyond just my experience with her at Norland or Evolutionary Arts,” Cidel said.

So Cidel signed up to become a ‘Big’ with the Miami Chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, to provide mentorship, connections and support.

“And I thought maybe I could use her as a mentor because she was little at the time,” Cidel said.

And it happened.

“I have seen incredible growth at Kennedi. Just the fact that she’s sitting here talking, right? When I met her, she was a little shy, she was a little shy and not confident,” Cidel said.

But Duke said that’s not the case today.

“When I see you working with us and with the kids, I see how much you love it, and I see how confident you are. And it makes me want to do the same and I see how you’ve achieved those goals, and so when I see your path, I want to do the same: achieve the goals, do what I love, work hard for what I love,” she said.

That’s why when the opportunity arose to audition for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, they jumped at the chance.

And are now performing in this year’s parade.

“I get this opportunity to do what I love, and not all the time you’re going to want to give it your all, or you’re going to be tired sometimes, and when you’re tired and you want to give it your all, it’s going to be a real pleasure,” Cidel said. “I’m so proud of her.”

Cidel and Duke left for New York on Sunday and will rehearse around the clock until the big performance. All they can say about their debut is that they will be singing Christmas Carols with a celebrity at the end of the parade.