At work, we have a little group of attorneys that sometimes have lunch together. Throughout this election cycle, I've been jokingly calling them my therapy group, because even in the midst of the worst news someone would crack a joke or think of a reassuring fact or go off on a wild tangent.
Today, one woman amongst that group was having a hard time. "It wouldn't be so bad," she said, "But I just don't know how I'm going to get through Thanksgiving with my [Trump supporting] family. I love them, but...."
Not for the first time, it struck me as a particularly cruel trick of the calendar that Thanksgiving is a mere two weeks after Election Day. Yes, yes--we should all come together in the spirit of the holiday, etc., etc. But for most people it's really still too soon.
I'm lucky in that I have one of those families where everybody doesn't have to talk politics. I can squeeze baby cheeks and admire the food and get by mostly unscathed.
When our local food bank's request for holiday donations flickered across my feed today, I was reminded that I am lucky in another way too--we always have food.
Every year, our family donates money for a few Thanksgiving dinners, but it's never as much as I would like. This year, I want to change that and I'm asking for your help.
As it so happens, Thanksgiving also falls on my birthday this year. As such, I'm putting out the all-call from Sweet Husband and the kiddos on down, all I want for my birthday is 25 turkey dinners for Just Food. (At $15 for a meal for four, it's a bargain!)
Even if my birthday means nothing to you (heartless creature!), I'm still asking you to help me meet that goal.
Do it so your warm fuzzy glow will drown out the third conversation about the (f-ing!) emails.
Do it so somebody else has a better Thanksgiving than you will.
Do it if your family is all in political harmony. (You won the lottery there, so spread some of your luck around.)
Do it because we all need to feel some good right now.
Here's the link one more time. Off you go.
And then--if you don't mind a selfish request--come back and tell me you did, so that I can feel the warm fuzzy glow, too.