This is probably one of the most unique Thanksgivings most of us have ever experienced. The resurgence of COVID-19 has left us with a holiday that has been filled with concerns, fears and restrictions about travel. These are moments of deep regret for so many who depend on the Thanksgiving holiday for family renewal.
As I was watching the news about all those who are traveling, I watched family members trying to please their aging parents by taking them to some kind of a family gathering. I see other families who are canceling Thanksgiving all together. Some are minimizing who will be able to come for this day of family connection.
I also have seen limitations placed on some of our businesses who work with the public. There is a sense of desperation for lost jobs and lost businesses that so many Americans are facing today. 2020 has been an extremely difficult year and it is sometimes hard for us to think about being thankful.
This past year has tested our resilience, our faith and so many of our systems that we depend on. I know there have been lots of challenges and many more to come. I think we have yet to see how many ways COVID-19 has impacted our society and our families.
However, what is true and what we can be thankful for is that we always have hope. We have hope in God for our country. We have hope in those we love in our families. We have hope for this next year where we will continue to protect and care for one another. We have hope to overcome a significant obstacle for our country as we race towards vaccines and better therapeutics for COVID-19.
By the time you read this you may have already experienced Thanksgiving weekend. I hope you can find some simple things such as family, food, health and the future to come to be thankful for. In the middle of so much controversy and polarization it is my hope that we can learn to come back together as a country and regain a sense of unity as we face this chaos together. Perhaps 2021 can be a time of healing, emergence and growth for us all. It does begin with a simple sense of thanks for who we are as a nation and what our potential can be if we move with one voice together.
I wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving weekend and much hope for the future!
Gerry Vassar
President/CEO
