Thanksgiving is a complicated holiday, given its history and the lore around it. There’s the most likely apocryphal story of the first Thanksgiving. There’s the history of pumpkin pie, which rose to prevalence as a symbol of abolitionism, given that pumpkins could be raised by a family with a little bit of land and didn’t require slave labor. Abolitionists were also behind the movement to establish the holiday as well.

But in my wife’s family, the holiday has an importance all its own. My mother-in-law took it upon herself to make sure that each of her children learned how to make a different part of the Thanksgiving meal, so that in being together they brought the meal with them. And with each new member who joins, we add another dish so that the list of must-have side dishes reflects the growing family.

All of that said, as we celebrate this day in the U.S., I am grateful for this community. It is a community where we all bring our own part to the metaphorical feast. I am grateful for the new members that I’ve worked with these last two years and the long-standing members who have created such a wonderful community to join. I am grateful for the volunteers, the musicians and artists, and all of the lovely folks who come to our doors looking for a community of kindred spirits.

So thank you all for all that you bring to the table (metaphorical or not) and for how that creates a community worth cherishing.

In gratitude,
Trevor