Thanksgiving Wishes

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Like so many of you, I am busy today doing all those holiday things that feel familiar and comforting. My family is smaller than it used to be, so an important part of my Thanksgiving experience is to spend a few moments and fondly remember times past. Gone is the annual Thanksgiving house filled with aunts, uncles, grandparents, and boisterous cousins. My husband and I have a lovely day together, but it's so different now.

I won't sit here typing too long when I should be downstairs, but I didn't want the day to go by without sending my love and good cheer to all the amazing people I've met online in recent months.

One of the most striking differences between the world of my childhood and the world I now live in is that the people I'm now closest to are people who live scattered across the country, or elsewhere on the globe, many of whom I've never met face to face. No longer am I closest to the people with whom I share simple geographical proximity. Likewise, family bonds don't necessarily mean shared beliefs. Several of my family members hold views completely unlike mine, and while we still love each other, the chasm between us is now wider and deeper than ever.

And so it is. This curious modern-day situation is made more profound because the ideological divide in this country is so great. We can't assume that the people where we live share our general perspective on things. Even something like basic heartfelt patriotism isn't something we can count on. What might have been a lively but essentially civil debate years ago between a democrat and a republican is now more likely to be raging warfare between an America basher and an American patriot. Who could ever have imagined we'd have to explain to people why the constitution is so important? Or capitalism? Or freedom? It always seemed self-evident to me. But that's how extreme things have gotten, that's the degree to which we are torn.

But I don't want to depress you good folks... You know exactly how it is.

What all this is getting at is this: You bloggers, journalists, and online friends are amazing, and mean a lot to me. I learn from you every day, and draw strength from knowing there are capable, admirable people who share my deep concerns. In our lives when we can't always connect positively with people based on family ties or geography, in the online world we can connect via our shared beliefs. I'm proud and humbled to know you.

I hope you are having a marvelous Thanksgiving. Thank you for all you do, but also for helping me feel less alone in difficult times.

Cheers, and bless you all.

love,
brenda

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