Hello Downriver,
Come tomorrow, many of us will be surrounded by family and friends, offering thanks for the treasures of life.
But I’ve been thinking a bit more broadly about giving thanks this year.
For example, I’ll be thankful that we have a country resilient enough — thus far — to endure the repeated attacks from within the very structure of our government.
I’ll be thankful that we have people — everyday people — willing to take to the streets to peaceably protest the excesses of an out-of-control chief executive.
I’ll be thankful that we have brave people willing to video the excesses perpetrated by masked, badge-less goons in black who haphazardly tackle, restrain and spirit away American citizens on our streets.
I’ll be thankful that we have institutions filled with hard-working professionals coping as best they can from assault from within by Trumpian sycophants who continue to try to deconstruct our nation to mimic their fever dreams.
I’ll be thankful for our military, standing guard for 250 years to protect us from threats abroad — and dedicated to carrying out lawful orders from our civilians leaders.
I’ll be thankful for a press that may have finally re-found its voice, pushing back on the lies, rejecting the misdirections, challenging the stories emanating from this White House, this administration.
I’ll be thankful for the women in America who, once again, stand at the forefront of demanding justice from our system.
I’ll be thankful for our communities, in which everyday people pull together to help each other cope with the challenges of life in this decade; challenges of parenting, of putting food on the table, of making ends meet.
I’ll be thankful for our schools — and particularly, our teachers — which consistently provide the support families need to help their children grow, feel safe, prosper and see that there is a future waiting for each one of them.
I’ll be thankful for public servants who do more than talk about helping the public they serve, but actually deliver on the promises made — and work hard to lead our nation to a better place.
I’ll be thankful for the new generations of Americans creating their own definitions of what it means to be American; creating a more inclusive society, creating a more global view of life.
I’ll be thankful for the power of the law in our society; that even given the attacks perpetrated by those who would undermine our system, the law remains as a foundational element of our nation’s very existence.
I’ll be thankful for the power that art brings to our existence: the music, paintings, digital graphics, theater, films, sculptures, videos and literature that work to capture our lives, and also provide a glimpse into what can be.
I’ll be thankful for the role of faith in our society, whether as an organized religion or simply providing a personal relationship with the unknowable.
I’ll be thankful for those with a vision for the future, providing roadmaps for others to follow — or to diverge from to carve out their own paths.
And finally, I’ll be thankful for those of you who have taken the time to read what I’ve been writing for nigh on 40-plus years, and especially those who have told me what you think.
Of course, come tomorrow, I will be thankful for family and friends, but I’ll also be acknowledging that my life reaches out with tentacles to touch so many other things around me, and that those things impact me every day.
Like they do you.
Whether we realize it or not.
Happy Thanksgiving.
To read my essays, check out Substack.com and look for me at “Farrandipity.” It’s free. Craig Farrand can be reached at craig.substack@gmail.com
