I have been pondering this strange holiday which I have previously rejected as being my own and acted as a kind of observer of. I've come to the conclusion that this is the wrong approach to take because it is my holiday too. After all, it is not affiliated to any specific religious or specific cultural group, rather to the survival of the people in a young nation of both immigrants and natives (or that's my understanding, please feel free to correct me). That is the thing that is so great about Thanksgiving too: it's for everybody.
This year I've decided that I'm an immigrant of sorts too. My visa may suggest otherwise, as I have entered on non-immigrant/temporary status. But my plans are here right now, tied up in Jbird's degree. Perhaps one day our status will change or perhaps we'll end up somewhere else. For now, I'm living here, and I'm celebrating Thanksgiving properly.
What does that mean? It's easy to get caught up in the food as everybody seems to place so much emphasis on it, on the twist their family takes with the same few dishes. Food became the a symbol for all that we have to be thankful for so it is appropriate. Today I've been taking stock of where we are, what we're doing, and who we're becoming. Not through any ceremony but just in my thoughts. Good enough for me. Soon I'll be enjoying the company of others and considering the privilege it is to have friends to enjoy.
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