Thanksgiving 2023.

Every year, without fail, on Thanksgiving I think of my grandmother. It was one of her very favorite holidays, and each November, she would be in her element, surrounded by the love of her family. To this day, I can remember sitting at her and my grandfather’s wooden table in the living room eating turkey—the very same table where we always played Monopoly, and I always won.

 I wholeheartedly feel that I have so much to be thankful for this year. If I were to list everything, it would probably take pages and pages, so I will be brief. I am incredibly grateful for the love that surrounds me—the enduring love of my friends and family. Every day, I feel so supported by my loved ones, and so valued. This summer, it will be six years since my grandma passed, and I continue to be thankful for the very close relationship I had with her. We used to talk on the phone almost every day.

 I am thankful for my health, and for my Occidental education. I am very lucky because I get to exercise at Zumba class every Monday with my other grandma; Melinda. Every once in a while, I am able to take the train up to Santa Barbara with my mom. In just a few weeks, I will be going camping in Malibu with my dad. A few months ago, I drove into L.A. with my friend Anthony and his mom to go to Hurricane Harbor. Every Sunday, I get to FaceTime my Aunt Sue, and every Saturday, my favorite political podcast comes out. I am also very privileged because, every three weeks, I get to update this blog. In short, it is sometimes the little things in life that can have the most meaning.

 Yesterday, my younger sister Holly and her friend J. came over, and we had homemade sushi for Thanksgiving dinner. The food was delicious, especially because I got to observe exactly what went into creating it. It was also rewarding to be able to contribute by going to the grocery store to procure some of the requisite ingredients. As we sat in the backyard with chopsticks in our hands, I could not help but drink in the moment, knowing that it would be another year before this tradition resumed again. A year during which, I hope, many good things will come to pass.

 As I am sure you have derived, Thanksgiving is one of my very favorite holidays, and I like to think that I value the occasion in the same ways that my grandma always did. Every year, I try to think about how fortunate I am to have the life that I lead. Every Thanksgiving, I always acknowledge the fact that love is the most important thing. So is connection. I am hoping that, way back in the 1600s when this uniquely American holiday was first celebrated, the European settlers and the Native Americans were also able to acknowledge the power of collaboration and the importance of gratitude. Without it, we could never hope to blossom into the proud and exceptional nation that we are today.

Me with friends and family on Thanksgiving 2023.