Charles Rubin of Lake Huntington, NY

The Thanksgiving holiday normally ushers in a season of strong emotions for me: love of friends and family, appreciation of the bounty we are blessed with and respect for the electoral system that preserves our freedoms. This year, fear has slipped in to threaten and overpower our holiday cheer. I fear for the health of those around me and I tremble at the strains our democracy is under.

It feels ever more important to remind ourselves of what we are grateful for and to say them loud and often. I am grateful for the strong community I live in that continues to surprise me with its ingenuity and compassion. When I see people of all political stripes and flavors wearing masks to protect me and other strangers, it makes me want to double down on my determination to do what I can to beat back this virus. When I discover another business or agency that has come up with a clever way to safely deliver their services, I want to go out of my way to thank them and support their efforts. When I see those responsible for our elections rising to the incredible challenge of conducting an orderly vote under unprecedented conditions, I am reminded of what makes our country exemplary.           

To this mix of competing emotions I feel on Thanksgiving 2020 I will add one more: hope. The hope that we are strong enough and brave enough to weather this dark time and come out of it united and stronger.