A Thanksgiving Reflection
Gratitude, Grit, and the People Who Carry Us Forward
Thanksgiving has a habit of showing up right on schedule, whether the rest of us are prepared or still sprinting behind it. Some years we glide into the holiday with full plates, full hearts, and a kitchen that magically smells like every good memory we’ve ever tucked away. Other years… well, we’re cobbling together a last-minute side dish and quietly praying the smoke alarm shows a little mercy.
And then there are the legendary years. The year the oven died the morning of Thanksgiving, the kids were still little, and I found myself improvising an entire holiday meal on the grill, including pumpkin pie. Nothing quite tests a parent’s resolve like basting a turkey beside the patio furniture while pretending this bold outdoor-chef energy was absolutely the plan. Yet the meal got made, the kids were fed, and the whole chaotic adventure became part of family lore — a reminder that resilience shows up in some very unexpected forms.
Gratitude Looks Different for Everyone
For many families, today is about traditions, familiar recipes, and the joyful chaos of overlapping conversations. For others, it’s quieter. Maybe emptier. Maybe heavier.
Military and veteran families know this better than most. Some chairs stay empty for reasons that never get easier to say aloud. Some loved ones call from thousands of miles away. And some don’t get to call at all.
Gratitude doesn’t erase that reality. But it can sit gently beside it. Gratitude doesn’t demand perfection; it asks us to recognize the people and moments that carry us when the weight gets heavy.
Honoring the Ones Who Can’t Be Here
For surviving spouses and families, Thanksgiving is never just a holiday. It’s a reminder, a reflection, a quiet promise to carry forward the legacy of the people we loved — the ones whose absence changes the shape of every room.
Their stories, their laughter, their stubbornness, their courage — all of it lives on. We honor them in how we show up, who we help, and the traditions we keep or rebuild. Our gratitude for them is woven into who we are.
A Season of Community and Care
If Thanksgiving teaches anything, it’s that no one gets through life alone.
We lean on mentors, neighbors, battle buddies, coworkers, chosen family, and sometimes complete strangers who step into our lives at the exact right moment. Military and veteran communities know this instinctively. Support isn’t simply appreciated; it’s survival.
So today is a good day to reach out. Check on someone. Offer a seat if you have the space. Accept a seat if you need it. Community is built in these small, meaningful moments.
Finding Gratitude in the Unpolished Places
Life rarely behaves like a holiday commercial. Sometimes gratitude looks like:
Making it through a year you didn’t think you’d survive
Advocating for your family when you were already exhausted
Rebuilding after loss
Starting over
Trying again
Or taking that first step into the day when it required more courage than anyone around you will ever know.
Gratitude grows best in real life, not picture-perfect moments.
What I’m Thankful For This Year
This year, I’m grateful for:
The families and surviving spouses who keep showing up
The advocates who fight for change even when progress is slow
The strangers who turn into allies
The friends who become family
The simple fact that I have made it this far
And the steady reminders that purpose doesn’t disappear just because life gets complicated
Gratitude doesn’t ignore the hard parts; it simply highlights the people and moments that keep us moving forward.
A Final Thought for Today
Whether your Thanksgiving looks like a beautifully orchestrated family gathering or a scrappy, improvised meal cooked on the grill because life decided to test your patience, I hope you find a moment of peace today. Even a small one.
And if today is heavy, please remember: you’re not walking it alone. This community is wide, resilient, and filled with people who understand what the world often overlooks.
May today bring warmth.
May tomorrow bring hope.
And may the year ahead bring quiet victories that remind you just how strong you are.
Happy Thanksgiving.
