Thursday, November 24, 2005

Thanksgiving

Again we are faced with an American holiday. None of them sit with me well, usually for similar reasons. I always say I am going to restructure the holidays in to something that makes sense and matters to me, and then I don't really know how to go about it. I think that is more about restructuring alone, and what is a holiday in a vacuum? Anyway, I don't want to over look the mass genocide of indigenous peoples. And then it also feels wrong to celebrate the greed that creates obesity in our citizens while citizens of other countries watch their own children starve to death. I am appalled by factory farming and the atrocities therein. Oh, and fuck football. On a more personal level, I don't feel particularly connected with my family. For now I will let that suffice. My only saving grace in not feeling like a total sham when saying "Happy Thanksgiving", is the concept of gratitude. Which has been amazingly healing in my own life, and I can definitely agree that it's important. Sometimes appreciation comes naturally, and sometimes I need to put my self in that mind set with a focused effort and practice. I know most of us will be cozy, lazy, and full, so my well wishings are for everyone else. Survivors of Katrina, the earthquake, the tsunami, or just life. My friend who's fighting for his own justice. Veterans who are over looked or underloved. It hardly ever feels right to celebrate, if you have any awareness of just how bad things have gotten. So I am thankful for people who can feel that, and understand.

2 comments:

Tiffany Fairbanks said...

I really like hearing your thoughts on this. I never really have thought about it in that way. Thanks for bringing a different opinion to the table.

Carrie said...

You're a sweetheart.