Like most holidays we celebrate, the essence of the Thanksgiving holiday hides underneath our celebration of it.
Ask anyone about Thanksgiving, and you will hear about turkey, stuffing, a big meal, family, and maybe football.
I’m fine with all of that, particularly the stuffing and family parts.
But the thing that I like most about Thanksgiving is the idea that this is a time of year to give thanks.
The story I heard is that the first Thanksgiving was done to give thanks to the bounty of the harvest. That makes sense to me given the time of year in late fall.
But regardless of why this tradition started, I am a big fan of a day set aside to be thankful.
And I am very thankful this year. Here are some reasons:
1/ We are starting to learn to live with Covid. Between vaccinations, testing, therapeutics, behavior modifications, and more, we are starting to understand the risks and the protections that allow us to live with a virus run amok. The Gotham Gal and I traveled to Paris and back earlier this month and we were able to enjoy a city we love while the virus was still very much a thing in both NYC and Paris. I am starting to attend more and more board meetings in person. The USV office has been open since March and our team enjoys being able to work together face to face. I get to go to MSG, the greatest arena in the world, and watch NBA basketball with twenty thousand other people a few times a week. While the pandemic may not be over, the panic and isolation are easing. And I am thankful for that.
2/ Technology continues to make our lives better. While the narrative has grown that tech and tech companies are bad for society, our everyday lives suggest that the opposite is true. I facetime with my mom when I used to call her on the phone. Seeing her smile warms my heart every time. I can drive to the east end of long island and back in a car that has been entirely powered by the sun. An artist can make a beautiful image and sell it in such a way that they get compensated every time that image trades hands. A founder in Egypt can (and did) raise millions of dollars for their company on one zoom with a team of investors in NYC. I can go on and on, but you get the idea. Technology continues to improve our lives and I can play a role in that. I am incredibly thankful for that.
3/ Aging gracefully is a wonderful thing. We have watched our children become wonderful adults. We have watched the things we have created have an impact on others. We have found time to give back. We have found time to write. We have found time to have great fun with great friends. Time spent on planet earth is such a gift and I’ve now spent 60 years here. I am so thankful for that.
That felt good to write. Giving thanks is awesome. I encourage everyone to take some time to do it. That’s what today is all about.
