“We are each other’s harvest; we are each other’s business; we are each other’s magnitude and bond.”

- Gwendolyn Brooks

Dear Readers,

Like clockwork, houses will be filled again, plugging the empty voids that packed up and left in late August. The hustling and daily obstacles of an underpaid job and an unappreciative boss will take a back seat to the familiarity of faces that were put off for paperwork in the weeks that passed. The children will be preoccupied with a televised parade and an endless holiday wish list while parents will fear the impending costs of the most expensive time of year. There is no argument that relatives will shout and argue, forcing their one-sided opinions down the throats of one another, allowing the curious adolescents to indulge in a secret taste of spiced rum and wine. And where does that leave you? Sitting in the middle of a glorified “kids table” buying time and excuses to avoid the worst question ever to be asked at Thanksgiving dinner: “So, what’re you thankful for?”

We’ve all been interrogated with the same loaded question, but few of us ever stop to really ponder what exactly we value, appreciate, and love in this world. Sure, you could manage to pull off: “I’m thankful for this warm cooked meal and the family sitting around it” but does it really mean as much? As you grow older you start to realize that the superficial answer is a sweet gesture, but it does not begin to even explore the graces and blessings we’ve been given in a life filled equally with tragedy.

You might have the luxury to roll your eyes at the cliché holiday question, but many people do not experience the same joys and traditions as you. Some people spend the night at a cheap diner, hoping that the little money they have will get them that discounted holiday special. Others endure the holiday in solitude, in a shelter with the most basic donated food, given to them by the generous hearts that have learned that wealth derives from happiness, not money. And some pretend the holiday does not even exist at all, hoping that when the sun rises the next day the pain and aches in both their body and soul might subside for just a moment.

In a time when society has turned on itself in a bitter war of obscenities, judgments, and hatred it seems appropriate to take a step back and just be thankful that your heart is beating and someone else is listening for it. Look to your left as your brother throws caution to the wind and uses his hands to eat the mashed potatoes in the most uncivilized manner possible. Turn your head to your father, who attempts to keep one eye on the television and another on the burning turkey without your mother noticing him. Glance down the table at your grandparents, who wear the wrinkles of experience, heartache, joy, and sorrow on their faces, enjoying the simple fact that for one day the entire family could set aside differences and come together. Bow your head and think about the person who should be sitting in that empty chair—whether it’s the first Thanksgiving they’re gone or just another numbing one that feels like only yesterday—you can still sense them laughing at the chaos. These small and unappreciated normalcies of your life are what you should be thankful for.

So before you roll your eyes at the thought of having to recite another meaningless toast, make this one count. Thanksgiving isn’t just a holiday of harvest and feast with family, but an appreciation of the life you have and a recognition of the ones that aren’t as blessed. Life is too short to let the petty differences of our beliefs and practices keep us from enjoying the company and love of the people who mean the most.