Thanksgiving

This editorial in my hometown newspaper echoes my stance on Thanksgiving visits, and I’m sticking to it for all holidays, and for socializing in general, til there’s a very compelling reason not to.

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation for safety this Thanksgiving is straightforward: Limit gatherings to the people you live with, or already see frequently. Connect with everyone else via phone or through online platforms like Zoom. In the weeks following Thanksgiving, take extra care whenever you are out in public, with the understanding that many people who didn’t take precautions could be visiting the same stores, offices and restaurants as you – and could be contagious even without symptoms.”

Yep. That there.

I’m not trying to tell others what they should do or believe. (That’d be futile anyway.) I have spent some time and energy finessing how to state my own choices though. It’s been tricky to the point of being agonizing at times, but I hope I’m getting better at stating my parameters without hurting people’s feelings.

This is similar to the conflicted feelings I get when defending my eco choices. Refusing unnecessary rides in cars, refusing single-use plastic, etc. But, this is part of my work. Learning to do state my choices in a calm, matter-of-fact way (when it’s necessary to state them at all, which it isn’t always), while conveying to people that I love them, I value our relationship, I’m not rejecting their love or whatever.

Happy Thanksgiving, to all of you who celebrate. Gratitude is never out of season.

Further Exploration:

Thanksgiving Day, 11/26/2020: Speaking of gratitude, Today’s inspiration piece from DailyOM is “An Experiment in Gratitude.”