Another Thanksgiving over, another turkey eaten, another bumper-to-bumper drive down I-95 added to all the others. Though this was the first Thanksgiving without my mother, all in all it was a nice holiday. No arguments, no one stormed out of the room or the house, no Covid; although one nephew had a stomach bug. And, yes, as with many holidays the origin story is problematic. Hanukah, which comes next on the calendar, is also troublesome involving, as it does, a brutal war story.
But Thanksgiving, for me, is an opportunity to reflect on gratitude. I am grateful to have had a high school American History teacher who encouraged us to read primary sources and to ask a lot of questions. Lincoln, of course, when enshrining the holiday in the middle of the Civil War, needed a unity myth. Everything is complicated.
Sitting around my brother’s dining table in 2022, I found it valuable simply to acknowledge how lucky my life has been. A selfish perspective, perhaps, but gratitude also involves recognizing not only that others are not so lucky, but that there are things I can do. Our culture of selfishness depresses me. I recently read that Jeff Bezos is trying to figure out where to donate much of his vast wealth. I don’t understand why he does not give it to his thousands and thousands of employees who earned it for him. Let them spend it.
I’d prefer to live in a culture of creativity. We’d all be happier.
While I am being both simultaneously grateful and kvetchy, let me say how much I dislike public Christmas tree lightings. They make me wildly uncomfortable and, the Supreme Court to the contrary, blur or cross the line between separation of Church and State. Public menorah lightings are even worse say I.
Enough of my holiday thoughts. Here’s a link to my favorite poem by Lucille Clifton. Hope you had some good food and the opportunity to spend time with people you love this weekend. Both are blessings.
Jessica
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/58816/blessing-the-boats
Thank you, Jessica. I like how you write honestly out of your experience. And, I loved the poem! Joyce