For Thanksgiving Staford and I went to Tucson to see Staford’s family. They are extremely generous people rich in cultural heritage and blessed with the ability to cook amazing food. For our first dinner I was served fresh tamales that had been tended after all day. The Spanish rice, fried beens, and warm tortillas went together perfectly. The evening was filled with drinks, hugs, and loud family stories being passed around. I went to bed hydrated with white wine and a belly full of homemade food.

Thanksgiving can often be a difficult time for people and I think that’s one of the reasons it gets passed over so quickly every year. We are so eager as a society to think of what we need rather than what we have. Our wants and desires are valid, but how many of them are necessary? What do you have, materialistic or not, that other people don’t have? If you think this way it can be easier for you to appreciate anything from the luxury of watching your favorite movie to the ability to move your fingers and toes.

Mental health, family, and finances can all be causes of stress around Thanksgiving. When someone is depressed, it doesn’t mean they aren’t thankful. When a family is broken, we are only called to love and not judge. When you are struggling financially, it’s okay to be open about it with the people around you. Thanksgiving should be more about showing up rather than what you bring or what you have. This year we need to show more grace to those that choose to be in our lives and grow a giving heart.