Thanksgiving is one of my most favorite holidays. It is uniquely American, not based on either ethnicity or religion, and is a reminder to many of us that we have much to be thankful for. America has been, for the third century in a row, the land of opportunities and promises. I understand all the promises to everyone are yet to be achieved but it is a journey with its progress and setbacks.
On this day I always first focus on my family and thank God for all His blessings. Between my wife and me – in our blended family – we have six lovely children, four great sons-in-law and daughters-in-law (more like sons and daughters), and ten grandchildren (a lopsided ratio of nine grandsons and one granddaughter). There is a reason why children’s kids are called GRAND. They bring all the joys in the world to us and our children have all the challenges of raising the kids —sweet revenge from us and God’s way of completing the circle.
We are all celebrating this Thanksgiving in our respective homes. We are honoring our children’s request and understandable concerns for us older people with less immunity and underlying health conditions. However, this Thanksgiving is just as special as all the previous ones — we are grateful for our health and well-being compared to all the millions around the world who are suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic, hunger, and homelessness.
In a curious sort of way, this pandemic is holding a mirror in front of all our faces. It affirms that our futures are tied together. We cannot escape this pandemic unless all nations coordinate their healthcare policies, particularly a worldwide mass vaccination program. It also has demonstrated inequity and inequality within countries and among the countries. There is also an increased realization that the environment is all our collective responsibility. Even in a world of increasing inequality, the rich cannot insulate themselves from COVID-19 (or its future versions) or breathe sanitized air indefinitely. I am reminded of a much-quoted line from President Kennedy’s inaugural address in January of 1961 – “If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.”
Fortunately, I see a bright future ahead in the eyes of younger people. Philosophically and emotionally they are ready to function in a post-racial society as evidenced by the thousands of young white men and women who marched alongside minorities in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. They are uniformly and universally concerned about the environment and strongly believe in equal opportunity for all.
While most people see the results of the US presidential election as a nation divided, I see instead, the upside of a huge number of young people exercising their voting rights for the first time. I see Joe Biden ushering in the next generation by selecting an African-Asian American Kamala Harris as Vice President. Sometimes it takes Americans a little longer but ultimately sanity, good judgment, decency and a deep sense of caring and volunteerism prevail. This Thanksgiving we have again come back to that path.