Happy Thanksgiving

Colleagues,

Happy Thanksgiving!
 
I really hope you aren’t reading email on Thanksgiving.
 
Gratitude is powerful, so it is great to stop and think about all we have to be thankful for. 
 
Like many others, our family has lost some dear people this past year and we feel it acutely during the holidays. Yet even in loss, we can be thankful for the time we had together – the laughs, smiles, and special moments. Being human is a turbulent and fleeting thing, so touching the joyful experiences of the past is helpful in buoying us for the future – and allowing us to laugh in the present.
 
As we give thanks, let us also be aware of our privilege. At the very least, we have been born into a remarkable time and place. Four years ago, I checked into the hospital with an infected and rupturing gall bladder. Because of modern medicine, and my access to it, I was back on my feet in a few days. In another time, or another place, the more likely outcome would have been death. I didn’t “earn” being born in the late 20th Century, and I didn’t “earn” being born in the United States.
 
Being aware of privilege doesn’t mean we are undeserving; it just means that we have privileges that many others do not, and we should recognize and appreciate them.
 
So, let’s be thankful for all we have, both the earned and unearned, and for the time we have had, are having, and will have with people we love and care for.
 
Cheers!
 
Frederick