Nov. 23, 2025: Thankful and Hopeful

There is no doubt that we are living in the midst of a national crisis. Who we are as a country and what we value, is up for grabs like never before.  Every day, we are inundated with disturbing images, horrific stories, and reports of actions that would have been unthinkable a year ago.

It is enough to keep us up at night and make us feel like we are living in a dystopian novel.

Many of us are working very hard to keep some semblance of sanity in our lives and to keep our mental health from crumbling into a pile of dust. Avoiding the news, pulling inward, and focusing on what we can control, are strategies that many of us are employing right now.

With Thanksgiving Day being this week, I also feel it is a great time to remember there are many things for which we can be very thankful, even in this situation.

Things for which I am Thankful and that give me Hope:

-       Our democracy has survived periods of hate, crisis, and turmoil before.  Anyone who has studied the history of our nation knows that it has not been smooth sailing.  Because of the way our Constitution is written, governance is supposed to involve discussion, disagreement, compromise, and conversation.  Our Constitution was set up so that it could grow and change as needed as our nation and people grew and changed.  But as we all know, change is not comfortable.  And in many cases, crisis drives change. Those who study our history in the future will definitely count this as a dark time for our nation, but we have survived dark times before.

-       While the current climate is allowing (and encouraging) hateful people to be loud and often center-stage, it is clear that they are outnumbered by Americans with compassion, empathy, grace, and honor.  Americans who may not agree on all issues, but who value democracy and are willing to do the hard work to keep it.  Embracing the power of peaceful protests nurtures the soul.  Quiet moments of resistance and dissent add up.  I am thankful for those that have the courage to speak out, for their integrity encourages us all.

-       While it is true that “all politics is local’, so is hope. It is those ordinary people that I come into contact with every single day, in a thousand different ways, that give me hope.  My fellow teachers, my students, our parents and community.  The cashiers, waiters, college students.  Our local officials, my neighbors, and strangers I pass on the street. They give me hope that American Patriotism is still very much alive.  That as a nation we are still working hard to live up to ideals of our founding. And while we might be falling short in many ways, that has not dampened out desire to do better. To help one another.  To look out for each other.  To make positive contributions to the world.  To build connections with those around us. To find moments of joy and contentment.

Even as we acknowledge the dark and dangerous time through which we are living, we can be thankful and hopeful. 

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!