As Thanksgiving is approaching, and we are entering the "Holiday Season", I cannot help but reflect on where we were this time last year. Phone calls and group texts with my family were being exchanged daily to determine if gathering would even be possible. Talk of smaller groups, masks, and canceling all together was the norm. One year later, and although we still need to be careful, the conversations have shifted back to who will bring the stuffing and cranberry salad.
President Washington proclaimed Thanksgiving to celebrate the Fall Harvest after the Plymouth settlers made it through a very hard Winter. With the help of Native Americans, they learned how to grow new crops and hunt native animals, to overcome adversity. This seems relevant, as we are coming out of a hard year. I would like to think that as a community we learned our lesson that we need each other. Not everyone has access to the same resources, and it is the responsibility of those that can access the resources to share and help. In a time of chaos, let us be thankful for each other and what we can all learn from each other. It is not what we say we are grateful for, but how we treat each other and live our lives that expresses genuine gratitude.
I would challenge everyone to continue the momentum that was created last year, and give not only thanks but support to anyone how may be in need. I am so grateful that I will gather with my family in person again this year after not seeing them last year, but I know that is not the case for everyone. To truly give thanks, is to share and support. Consider some of the following ways show thanks:
1. Invite someone to your Thanksgiving that may be alone this year
2. Volunteer at a local food pantry or church
3. Make an extra meal for a family that may not be able to afford the large meal
4. Donate to a charity or organization that supports a cause important to you
5. Pay for the person behind you in line at the coffee shop, or fast food line
6. Give someone a compliment
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