With the coronavirus pandemic raging, schools closed, and our democracy in limbo, a holiday about gratitude may feel a little off.
“What can we possibly be thankful for in 2020?” When I posed that question to my kids, I got crickets.
“Instead of saying what we’re thankful for, we could say what was hard for us,” Meryl said.
We definitely could. But before giving up on Thanksgiving completely, I had a hunch that hope for this holiday might lie at People’s Place – a thrift store and food pantry. Like most food pantries in America, they’ve seen a huge increase in need.
“Right now I’m definitely struggling,” one man said.
“I lost my job,” a woman told us.
“It’s been rough for everybody, you know,” another said.
And yet, if you ask folks here if they have anything to be grateful for this Thanksgiving, you’ll get a surprising wealth of words.
“I’m grateful to be alive, and breathing on your own is the best,” one woman told us.
“My arms work. My legs work. I can walk,” another woman said.
“I’m not living out on the streets. I have a roof over my head,” another woman said.
“I’m grateful that we still have what we have,” another said.
“I’m grateful for still being alive,” said a man named Gabriel.
