As we join family and friends at the table for our Thanksgiving feast, we tune out the latest news of an absent uncle. We try not to sit next to the relatives we don’t particularly like, but tolerate. We laugh, joke and ponder how goodness and misfortune permeate our lives. Someone in the group needs another job or new business ideas. A friend’s cancer returned. The teenager chatters about her enlightened views on the value of vegan menus. The new baby in the crowd sleeps peacefully. The two year old wants hotdogs.
We are thankful we live in the safe surrounding us. We watch football and fall asleep before the 4th quarter. We awake surprised the game is over and elelated the Packers won. But we realize a haze hovers over the warmth in the room.
Although the recent Paris massacre causes a cloud in our lives, we deem our country unconquerable and hope for wise leadership from our government. We take sides. Our outrage causes us to wonder why the murders in Damascus, Beirut and Tel Aviv rarely appear on our favorite news channels. Greg Abbott, our Texas governor wants to prevent any Syrians from settling in our state.
We forget why our ancestors left Europe. They arrived in Massachusetts, Virginia and Florida from Ireland, Poland, France and other continents, mostly as a result of religious persecution.
We must look to our heritage. Did a great-great grandfather serve in the Revolutionary War? Do we plan to arm ourselves or find solutions to end the killings? Can we avoid another season of internment camps in Europe and the US? Read stories of World War II and Vietnam or the Middle East for fast instruction on why we must prevent this from happening again.
As we come to the table on Thanksgiving let’s eat, pray and watch favorite team. Can’t hurt to say a few prayers. We want a united team. We are grateful for our freedom and grasp no easy answers exist. Whether our heritage is Louisiana Vietnamese or Louisiana French, whether our ancestors are German, Mexican or other ethnicity, we need a team at the table.
Happy Thanksgiving, y’all. Go, Bucks!