The Thanksgiving holiday weekend has come to an end but I
have yet to sit down and seriously consider its meaning for me. A week ago my pastor asked the children
during the children’s time in worship if they could be thankful for difficult
things that happened. What if their dog
died? The children’s answers were
amazingly thoughtful. My pastor repeated
this line of questioning at our Bible study that week.
How did I answer that question? I had attended the Transgender Day of
Remembrance vigil a couple of days before so my mind was on that. We remembered the 23 transwomen who were
murdered in the U.S. during the past year.
I am grateful for the transpeople who are willing to stand up in public
to tell their stories and educate the rest of us. I know the woman who shared at the
vigil. I held my breath and there was a
knot in my stomach as she told about her aborted suicide--such a personal story
to share. She is brave.
As I reflect on my life this year, I know I have so much to
be thankful for—too much to list. Of
course, I think about my family and my home.
I am grateful for my little cat that almost died; she is now
healthy. However, I do think it is
important to think bigger.
This past year has been a difficult one for our
country. The election of Donald Trump
was a dark day in U.S. history. He seems
determined to turn the country upside down, destroying all the progress we have made
in recent years. Trump’s behavior toward
women has been horrendous yet he seems proud of it. I could go on and on. People are discouraged and depressed (and
these feelings will increase if one of the GOP tax bills passes). What gives me hope, what I am truly grateful
for is the reaction of a large number of Americans citizens. The cry is RESIST! People are volunteering and donating money to
groups like the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, and many more. Citizens are signing up to run for office—people
who have never run before. Candidates
include a large number of women. People
are speaking up about abuse of power, especially sexual harassment. I am grateful for the courageous women who
speak up, exposing themselves to ridicule.
New social action groups are popping up all over. People feel they need to DO something. While there is despair, there is a new energy
from people who never considered themselves political in the past. I am thankful for all the honest, hardworking
people who want to make a positive difference.
Together we can make our country a more inclusive, fair, creative, and
prosperous nation.
