A Day To Be Thankful
I am thankful for my family, my Partner, my friends, and even you!
Today as many people in the western world, specifically in America celebrate Thanksgiving. A day that historically was created as a way to give thanks for the harvest of the past year. Painted as a perfect ceremonial dinner between the colonizers of America and the native tribes of people…yeah yeah y’all know that was wrong, that’s not what we are here to talk about. I am writing this to express my thanks not only for this year’s amazing progress but the progress of the people who came before me. Thank you to my ancestors who were resilient and survived after building America from their blood sweat and tears. Thank you to my ancestors who had their tribal lands stolen from them, and who had to shift their people and culture across an entire nation. Thank you to my family who put everything they had into coming to New York so that their future generations can succeed beyond the roadblocks that were set in front of them. Thank you to the educators and leaders in my community that let me know that it is possible to build your own path out of an environment that has been built to not let you win. Thank you to the friends who believe in my dreams and make sure that the torch stays lit. Thank you to the communities of people across the world that have let me become a part of their tribes. And yes thank you reader, for listening to my voice.
Today is not the day to sit in envy for what you do not have. I hope that you can practice gratitude even for the lessons learned. Be grateful for your tribe, your tools, your place of rest, and not only the harvest.
Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Holidays to you and yours!
Written by Jayquel Michael W. @jayquelmichael
