Gratitude without the Hallmark filter

Today I woke up to a text from my friend group wishing us a Happy Thanksgiving. I am usually the one who starts that thread, but 7 am felt early for a day that would stretch long. Still, I got a call from one of those friends, sick, barely able to talk, and she called anyway. And just like that, my heart warmed.

I felt grateful for that same friend who once dropped off honey and a lovely charm necklace when she knew I was in a slump. Grateful for the colleagues who still call me, not because of a holiday or an occasion, but simply because I crossed their mind.

I do those things too. I call people randomly. I text when I see something that reminds me of someone. I pass along a quote, a quick video, a podcast that stirred me. It is all about staying connected. It is about being human.

Thanksgiving, at its core, is about celebrating the power of connection.

And yet, not everyone arrives at this day in the best of spirits or the best of conditions.

Aging parents may be wrestling with pain or the quiet fear of forgetting. Siblings may be trying to untangle old dynamics or navigating long distances. Friends may be carrying financial strain or personal storms no one sees.

So much of what people bring to the table is invisible.

Every person deserves grace. Every person deserves to be seen and heard. And truthfully, every person deserves to be loved.

Not everyone wakes up on Thanksgiving feeling grateful.

Some feel full. Some feel empty. Some feel both at the same time.

For some, today is warm kitchens and loud laughter. For others, it is quiet rooms and missing chairs. For many, it is complicated.

We have turned gratitude into something shiny and performative. Perfect tables. Perfect smiles. Perfect captions. But real gratitude is not polished. It does not always look like joy. Sometimes it looks like showing up tired. Sometimes it looks like staying when it would be easier to pull away. Sometimes it looks like setting a boundary and protecting your peace.

You do not have to force gratitude if your heart feels heavy. You do not have to hide gratitude if your heart feels full. Both can exist without canceling each other out.

If you find even one steady thing today, a voice you trust, a meal that warms you, a memory that comforts you, let that be enough.

And if today feels hard, that does not make you ungrateful. It makes you human.

Wishing you a Thanksgiving rooted not in perfection, but in connection.