Why is it so Hard to Think of Something to be Thankful for this year?
The answers may not surprise you
Every year, families go around their table and say what they are thankful for on Thanksgiving. This year, I am finding it hard to come up with something to say.
Normally, I would say I’m thankful for my health, but I’m going through my own troubles with that right now.
Some might mention their family but with the way the past year has been, it might be a little awkward to say that.
So why is it we can’t find anything to say we are thankful for? We have a lot going on in our country right now and it can be made worse when those closest to us don’t agree with our opinions on the matter.
The Pandemic is Still Going on
It’s been much longer than the experts have told us this pandemic would last for. At this point, it's more than possible that we will have to learn to live with these restrictions, but some are still fighting them.
Those fighting the mask rule could be causing the pandemic to go on longer than it should, but we won’t know for a long time. We have these people in our families and like many, we are tired of listening to their opinions on the matter when.
We need to find something new to talk about this holiday season to get our minds off the one thing we seem to be stuck on.
It’s hard to talk about happier topics though when people are dying.
The death tolls may have gone down in certain countries since the pandemic started but there’re families that must deal with the loss of a loved one around a time when you’re supposed to be thinking of all the good things in life.
It's unfortunate when someone passes away around the holidays from old age, that’s understandable. But when the person was in their twenties or thirties, it makes it harder to understand why they had to leave us so soon.
It seems like we are all at a point where we want this to be over. We want to go back to not worrying about what might happen if we go outside or to a gathering to meet with friends in person.
One can only take so much mental strain before they succumb to the weight of it all.
The Vaccine
This is a tricky subject to bring up today. The vaccinated are blaming the unvaccinated for the pandemic still going on, along with the ones not wearing masks, and this has caused many arguments even within families.
Should some be allowed to stay unvaccinated? Is it the reason that the pandemic has gone on for as long as it has? These are questions that are being debated today and will continue to go on for a long time.
Some of the smartest people on the planet are struggling to figure out what is happening because of this disease, and we are listening to Joe Rogan.
Not to say that what he is doing is wrong because he has stated that he checks with his doctors about what he takes, but for some, it’s hard to take medical advice from a comedian over a professional.
Now, the vaccine is being made available for children as young as seven years old.
These are the kinds of topics I like debating with people because they're so many ways to look at it but others are holding firmly to their beliefs which are causing conflicts.
Are Politics Tearing us Apart?
We all have our own way of thinking and with so many highly debated topics being thrown around today, it's not likely that we will all agree on what to do about them.
It's amazing today how the right blames the left for everything and the left blames the right.
I was once asked by a college professor if a compromise is attainable in politics and my answer at the time was “of course”. Now I am not so sure about that.
We seem to be headed towards a more split nation because we all can’t just get along.
It’s not a problem if you disagree with someone. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. You need to do your research on these topics though to have these conversations.
They are very in-depth and there’s a lot that goes into them.
Where you get your information, is step one. Turning on any new station will give you one point of view. You need to be open to seeing things from many different points of view before having an in-depth discussion.
If you don’t know something or do not understand where the conversation is going, say that and ask the person who’s speaking if they can explain what they just said.
In my opinion, this is the best way to learn.
The news is a great place to start but when you only watch one station, you begin to think one way. It’s not to say that the news is stating false information.
The facts are normally true but the way it’s spun will be different on a right-leaning station than on a left learning station.
This is why people who repeat what they hear from news anchors word for word are seen as closed-minded.
I’m sure we all have that one uncle who comes over for a family gathering and everyone is careful not to bring up one of the topics he can’t stand for fear of him going on a rant about it.
No one wants to stress during a family get together.
Final Thoughts
This might be one of the strangest times to be thankful for something. You would think it would have been the first thanksgiving during the pandemic but the second one is stranger.
Things seem to have gotten better but some are still fighting over the same issues.
While I hope that these problems are cleaned up soon, I am also staying realistic and believe that it will take some time for them to be resolved.
With that said, I believe they're good times I have experienced this year, regardless of everything going on, and that’s what I’m going to say I’m thankful for this year.
My health may not be the best right now, just like many others, but the holidays are not a time to dwell on these things.
It’s a time to get together with those you love and create memories that will last you a lifetime. I hope everyone takes this time to enjoy themselves and has a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!
