A Thanksgiving musing.

I am an American by choice and Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. This year I am saddened by the absence of two of my daughters and sons-in-law but happy to know that we will see them soon, and thankful for the amazing technology that allows us to connect real time and share our affections.

Thanksgiving for me has always been a time to reflect on the blessings of living peacefully and productively in a nation of free diverse individuals, who differ greatly about many things, but agree fundamentally about the sanctity of those inalienable rights of life, liberty and justly acquired property. And this year will be no different in that respect. My appreciation of the achievements of the American experiment is undiminished.

However, I must say that in my years of living in America, I cannot remember a time of greater divisiveness, of greater doubt about the importance of those same inalienable individual rights. Many will use the occasion of Thanksgiving day to highlight the blemishes of our history and the (perhaps inevitable) imperfections that persist and call for a smashing of civil order in service of some yet-to-be articulated fundamentally transformed America. They will exploit feelings of guilt and grievance to keep discordant sentiments boiling, accentuating racial and ethnic differences for that purpose.

I think their time will pass, I hope soon. In the meantime my Thanksgiving will be a celebration and I hope yours will too. Let’s remember the importance of peace and tolerance and the prosperity it brings in the form of an abundance of great food (mainly owing to efforts of my amazing wife), the obligatory sumptuous turkey and other traditional Thanksgiving fare (my favorite by far is her corn pudding). However you do it, I wish you a very happy (post pandemic?) Thanksgiving!