Thanksgiving #7

I was going to say that this Thanksgiving was my seventh Thanksgiving in America, but I realized it would be more precise to say that it was my seventh Thanksgiving ever, since I never celebrated it when I was living in the Philippines.

Although there seems to be more people in the Philippines these days who are at least aware of the American holiday, back in my time, it was almost unheard of. I mean you knew there was such an American holiday (occasionally you saw references to it in books or on TV), but that was it. You didn’t even necessarily know when it was celebrated.

My life is so different now in that way. Now I know when it’s celebrated (the fourth Thursday of November) and know a little bit about the story behind it (even the controversial side-stories). And I’ve become an expert in the holiday’s rituals. Namely, feasting (which, come to think of it, I’ve always been an expert in) and being mindful of our blessings, which, really, is the point of the occasion.

It still is the point of the holiday. In really what is a touching homage to its origins (namely, the harvest traditions of North America: people held a feast to give thanks for a good harvest), people at Thanksgiving do take a moment to count their blessings and to be grateful. And to give.

On the front page of the Thanksgiving Day edition of the newspaper I helped put together, all news about crime or mayhem were set aside for Thanksgiving-related stories. On one side of the page was a story previewing “Black Friday,” the Friday right after Thanksgiving which traditionally has been marked as the start of the holiday shopping season, a day famous—or notorious (depending on how you see it)—for the insanely huge crowds at department stores and malls. 

But on the bottom of the page was a feature on a nonprofit organization that has, since 1987, been hosting a Thanksgiving party for homeless people and needy families. Well, this year, the nonprofit—called Mary’s Table—has been dealt a double blow: a severe shortfall in donations and a sharp increase in the number of people they’re serving. But despite that the organization was making do with what it has and its Thanksgiving program was on. The headline of the story, I thought, captured it all. It said: “They still give when it’s harder to get.”

The front page display was about a new restaurant that decided to give back to the community by giving free Thanksgiving dinners to low-income families.

But most touching on the page for me was the feature on the left side which was devoted to what the man—and woman—on the street was thankful for this Thanksgiving. Quotes from six people were featured. The reporter assigned to the story actually interviewed 10 people, but I couldn’t fit all the quotes when I was designing the page so I went with just six of them—three men and three women.

They said:

“I’m definitely thankful that I have a job, a roof over my head and a family to support me, because not everyone has that.”

“I’m thankful for my family. I’m thankful for being alive at 86 and for all the blessings of my life.”

“I’m thankful for health and strength, family and great friends. Just the mere fact that we’re alive, enjoying this beautiful Earth and being in California and the United States is just enough to be thankful for.”

“I’m thankful for having a full-time job again.”

“I’m thankful for my family coming together (today) for Thanksgiving dinner.”

“I’m thankful that my friend is going to be together with me and that they’re all healthy.”

What I liked about these quotes is they show that Americans are just like you and me. If Pinoys had a Thanksgiving holiday, I imagine we would say essentially the same things and be thankful for our health, friends and family.

Noteworthy too is that two of the six were thankful for their jobs. It’s still a very trying time for America, with record unemployment rates and an economy that doesn’t seem to know where to go. People are mindful that a lot of people are living on unemployment benefits and suffering from perhaps the indignity of not being given the opportunity to earn a living. That for me is the tragedy of a recession. People don’t want a handout; they want a job, that’s all.

But, as this Thanksgiving has shown, it’s good to know that should anyone need a hand, there’s no shortage of people willing to give it. Not in America. And I’m pretty sure not anywhere.