A year ago, as Americans paused to celebrate Thanksgiving, Washington Post columnist David Broder lamented on "the strangest saddest Thanksgiving week since 1963 … only six days after being in the motorcade in Dallas on Friday, Nov. 22, when John F. Kennedy was assassinated."
Broder was dejected at the thought of celebrating Thanksgiving amid the turmoil of an uncertain outcome to the 2000 presidential election. No one could have fathomed the enormity of anguish and outrage our nation would collectively experience in 2001, forever altering the scale by which we measure grief.
One short year later, as a time of bereavement once again punctuates the arrival of the holiday season, it’s more important than ever to pause and reflect on the true meaning of Thanksgiving — after all, when everything is said and done, isn’t it simply about feeling grateful?
One aspect of shaking the blues might be to try to remember what it feels like to be a child at Thanksgiving. Celebrating the holiday meant tracing your handprint into the shape of a turkey, attaching colorful strips of construction paper and sharing stories of the Pilgrims and the generosity of the Native American people as they gathered in thankfulness at Plymouth. Having persevered through a difficult year marred by tragedy and death, the Pilgrims were ready to bow their heads in thankfulness for their many blessings. Why should today be any different?
While no one would suggest we forget those who will mark this holiday without someone they love, or those who will spend the day at work, there ought to be plenty of room for thankfulness and appreciation.
Just as the scale by which we measure grief has been adjusted, so too, should the scale by which we measure joy, ever mindful of the lessons we’re sharing with future generations. A warm family gathering may mean more today than we would have imagined a year ago. And it may serve as a reference point in the future for today’s young people.
Even for those of us fighting a bit of the blues, there’s room to reach out. Today can be the time to call friends or support-network people and let them know how you’re feeling, good, bad or a normal mix. It can also be the time to resolve to help create more secure neighborhoods and stronger communities.
For all that America has suffered, there remains the prospect of brighter futures and the right to try to create good times for our ever-changing communities and nation.
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