Three Reasons I'm Thankful This Year
What I'm grateful for this Thanksgiving
With the grim reality of a second Trump presidency pressing down upon us, it’s hard to say that this Thanksgiving will be a terribly happy one. A nation in the grips of unreasoning, unjustified pessimism and a malignant culture of resentment has delivered itself into the hands of a corrupt, criminal narcissist and his gang of equally venal hangers-on. In just two months’ time, this clique will try to inflict untold damage on the country and its future prospects—and it’s impossible to calculate just how long it might take to repair it when they’re through.
That makes it all the more important to think of reasons, big or small, to be thankful in our own lives—beyond family and friends. Here three reasons I’m thankful this year:
Buddy. Each and every day, this rambunctious little ball of floof reminds me that life is meant to be lived to the fullest. He’s always in high spirits and incredibly social, wanting to meet every person and play with every dog we encounter out on our walks—no matter what time of day it may be or what the weather might be like. It’s hard for me to get too upset about anything when he’s around, ready to lift my own spirits with a wag of his tail, a lick on the face, or a proud little trot down the sidewalk.
Raising a puppy does take a lot of hard work and involves its fair share of scrapes and bruises. Puppy teeth are famously razor sharp, and puppies tend to see our limbs as chew toys before they learn better. I’ve had to adjust my own schedule to get up much earlier than I did in the past. But it’s more than worth it to see your little guy discover the world around him and learn how to interact with it. For his part, Buddy is curious and has been a quick learner, picking up pretty easily on many things through either training or simply doing.
There’s no companion like an affectionate and loyal dog, and I’m exceptionally grateful to have found Buddy.
Taylor Swift. The hardest-working woman in show business kept at it again this year, taking her Eras Tour international and releasing a new double album, The Tortured Poets Department. She spoke out in support of Vice President Kamala Harris and her presidential campaign, providing a constructive example of political engagement while also showing more courage than a number of political leaders and retired generals who remained silent despite believing Trump to be a budding despot. More than that, though, Swift and her recent tour have functioned as a genuinely countercultural event on a par with Woodstock—compare the joyous camaraderie and fellow-feeling found at her Eras Tour shows with the end-is-nigh pessimism, rancid cynicism, and rank cruelty that permeates far too much of American society today.
Dark as things may be right now, Swift’s popularity makes clear that there may still be some hope for us yet. That’s something to be thankful for.
A smorgasbord of streaming television entertainment. This past year saw the release of a number of great television shows on the wide variety of streaming services at our fingertips. From limited series like Masters of the Air and Agatha All Along to new seasons of shows like Star Trek: Lower Decks, Only Murders in the Building, and Silo, there’s a wealth of entertainment out there to alternatively distract us from our daily troubles or spur us think more deeply and creatively about them. It may not last due to the uncertain economics of streaming services, but this television renaissance isn’t confined to one genre: science fiction, prestige drama, and animation, among others, can all be found in the streaming ranks.
It's easy to dismiss these shows as mere entertainment, and maybe they are. But it’s still good to have something to get us through our days—and something to talk about with others beyond politics and the state of the world. We can have at least a modicum of gratitude for that.
These are three reasons I’m grateful this Thanksgiving, and I hope you have your own reasons for gratitude this year.
Enjoy the holiday and pass the turkey!