On Thanksgiving I just wanted to thank my readers for the incredible community you’ve help build here. This community (and the kind folks at Substack) have helped put some organization to the endless stream of random ruminations, half-thoughts and brain farts I started spewing out on Twitter more than 10 years ago.
Assembling here and discussing the bizarre world we live in almost daily, combined with the gift you’ve given me of being able to write whenever I have thoughts I need to get out of my head, has been one of the greatest gifts along the way and I want to express my genuine, sincere thanks for it.
I also want to thank those of you who have chosen to support my work by becoming paid subscribers, despite the fact that my musings are often times repetitive and sparse. I try to only write when I have something to say — there’s enough white noise out there in the world without me defiling your inbox unless it’s absolutely necessary.
Your support — including your comments, emails and ongoing discussions (arguments?) — never goes unnoticed or unappreciated. So, genuinely, thank you.
Over the last week, I’ve seen nothing on social media but
At Thanksgiving dinner tables across the nation tonight, there will be both new additions to families and lingering absences of those who have passed on over the last year. A couple of weeks ago, one of my less fortunate friends—someone I brought a Thanksgiving plate back for last year—passed away. I spent yesterday reflecting on how my leftovers this year won’t include a portion for him. I’ve also spent some time thinking about friends and family who have lost loved ones over the past year and the profound absence that will echo at family gatherings throughout this holiday season.
I don’t want to be sanctimonious or preach, as that’s not my style. But I thought this morning could serve as a reminder that Thanksgiving isn’t just a time for us to give thanks and be grateful for everything we have. It’s also a good time to remember, in the words of George Harrison, that “all things must pass.”
Like it or not, as human beings, we naturally develop values and ideologies that make sense to us and stick with us. But putting these views above family is a choice: you can choose to prioritize politics and ideologies, or you can choose to put family first. On holidays, we should always make that choice for family, because at some point we won’t be able to anymore.
And it’s tough to keep in focus that the things that drive you crazy about family will very likely one day be missed by you, you just don’t know it yet. Quirks and disagreements that frustrate us today may one day become the things we long for most. A loud debate at the dinner table, a relative’s habit of telling the same story for the hundredth time, or even an offhand political jab can all take on a bittersweet quality in their absence.
Thanksgiving isn’t a battleground — it’s not about swallowing your pride, suppressing your beliefs or silencing your voice; it’s about choosing when and how to engage.
I hope today everyone can focus on the connections and traditions that make this time special, because ultimately, Thanksgiving is just another moment that can remind us of the simple yet profound truth that life is fragile and time with loved ones is finite.
“I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.” — Thomas Jefferson
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