November 24, 2004
Being thankful
More than any other holiday, I love Thanksgiving. I like the idea of sitting around with your family, eating good food and giving thanks for what you have. Here's my shortlist (if you're doing one on your site, feel free to link to it in my comment section):
1. My family- My best friend in the world is my brother. He is one of the funniest people I've ever met (Dawn Summers says that two of the top five funniest things she's ever seen/heard came from him) and I trust him in a way I can't imagine trusting anyone else. I mean, he's my brother, he's stuck with me no matter what I say or do. My mom is pure kindness and amazing to us. She and my father split up a few years ago and she really held everything together, made sure we stayed a family, made sure things changed as little as possible. She took care of my father's mother until she died, and kept my brother and me feeling that 'family' feeling, despite our already small family being smaller than ever, it being just the three of us now.
As for extended family, Peter is such a great force in my life. He treats me amazingly and provides stability in my often crazy life. He's funny and quirky, interesting and interested. I also love his whole family. They're like something out of a movie. On both sides, they're mostly police officers, firemen, military, and teachers. It's so impressive to see people so dedicated to public service. And, they've been incredible to me since day one. His brother and mom, a Navy man and retired cop respectively, have always been above and beyond nice to me. I just really like them and am thankful for that.
2. America- the only thing I put above my country is my family. As readers of this site know, I was born in the Soviet Union. I am thankful every single day that my parents brought me to this amazing country, that I have lived in freedom every day of my adult life, and that I got to grow up in the most incredible country on earth. I have travelled a lot, and I have fallen in love with other countries. But, America is it for me. I love the people, in both the red and blue states, and I love the history, the culture, the attitude. I love the cowboys, the Gucci queens, the Brooklyn homeboys, the soccer moms and everything in between. I love the confidence of Americans. I love the determination and the collective will. And, more than anything else, I love the freedom. I love that my family never had to worry about being Jewish again. They left behind those worries in Russia. They came here, began new lives, were able to be whoever they wanted to be and were never again held back because of their religion. America is pure magic to people suffering with tyranny and hardship. America is promise of a better world.
3. My friends- I've got the best friends in the world. Whether it's my Russians (and the extended family of non-Russians they've adopted) in Brooklyn, the girls on the Upper East side, the people I've met through the NY political scene or working on campaigns, the ones across the pond in Scotland, the readers I've never met but have formed bonds with, the ones I've known since high school and just can't shake, and all the other beautiful people I've picked up along the way, I have it made when it comes to friends. I'm blessed, I really am. I've had very few situations in my life where I've had to end friendships, I can think of only two off the top of my head. I've mostly made good choices and I'm proud of that.
I know these aren't earth-shattering things to be thankful for, I'm sure most lists look much the same as mine. I just like taking the time during this holiday to give thanks for the things I appreciate.
Posted by Karol at November 24, 2004 02:24 PM | TrackBackTechnorati Tags:
How Oprah's gratitude journal of you. I should have known you were in a weird mood, when you were saying things like "oh, I feel bad for Tom Daschle."
Posted by: Dawn Summers at November 24, 2004 02:44 PMVery well put Karol. Being a first generation American, I can certainly identify with your love of this country since I love it too. However, you'd be suprised at how many people there are -- non-native Americans -- who've been living in this country and prospering, who don't share your love of America. It's mind-boggling!
Posted by: Zelda at November 24, 2004 04:54 PMzelda, boggle my mind, what are the numbers of non native americans, who are prospering, that don't love america?
Posted by: dawn at November 24, 2004 06:24 PMKarol:
What an exciting year you have had.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Happy Thanksgiving to you too, Dawn (even though you are not a Republican)
and I'm inordinantly thankful for you and the UES girls at large as well.
Enjoy and feast out. Love you.
Ari.
Posted by: yourneighbor at November 24, 2004 07:59 PMHey Dawn,
You see, my parents are Iranian Jews, and there's a very large community of them in Great Neck, Long Island and a smaller one in Queens. The Iranian Jews are VERY clannish. Granted, they are mostly very nice honest people. But many are not quite as assimilated as they could be. The mother of one of my friends, who has been living in this country for more than 31 years, still speaks almost no English and doesn't drive. Her daughter has to do everything for her.
But to make a long story short, my mother once said to me that she would love to move back to Iran, if the country were to ever be democratic. I have an Iranian brother in law, a religious Jew, no less, who finds this country to be degenerate -- who believes that America is responsible for many of the ills in the world, who has expressed an interest in living in Saudi Arabia (never mind that they don't allow Jews there) and who a week ago said he would prefer for his daughters to be educated in Muslim schools, as opposed to American ones.
What can I say? Some people are Anglophiles, some people are Francophiles, and my kooky brother in law is an Islamophile.
Posted by: Zelda at November 24, 2004 08:13 PMI'm thankful for the red head in my life too!
Posted by: Lisa at November 24, 2004 08:26 PMLIke you, I'm thankful that I'm close friends with my baby sister. And I'm thankful for her, her husband (who I consider to be a brother to me...not just a brother-in-law) and her two kids who I get to spoil.
I think we're a fortunate minority....not all brothers and sisters are close. I think it's a shame. I cannot imagine life without having my baby sister...
Posted by: Michael at November 24, 2004 09:37 PMIt would behoove everyone born since 1960 and raised up in the US Public School system to click on the link below and learn the Real Thanksgiving story. I almost choked when I heard this. It's really different than everything public education ever taught me about Thanksgiving!!!
RushLimbaugh.com: The Real Story of Thanksgiving
It's even better than I had thought. It's a story of Free Enterprise and Individual rights over collectivism and socialism. Go figure!
That's beautiful Karol- happy Thanksgiving!
Posted by: Stephen Silver at November 25, 2004 01:56 AMI'm always thankful for those wonderful turkeys for giving up their lives so that we may be miserable for at least one day and perhaps a week (or more) trying to eat them... =)
Gooooo turkeys!!!
Happy Turkey Day everyone!!! =)
Posted by: MarkW at November 25, 2004 10:54 AMMy list, which is intentionally non-political. I even refrained from saying "I am thankful that George Bush is better for comedy, since I live in a blue state."
Posted by: ugarte at November 25, 2004 12:14 PMI love reading posts like yours.
I'm a second-generation American, but I still feel that Jews need to feel gratitude, no matter how long they've been here. My first-ever post at my blog was called "Jew in America," which was my way of expressing gratitude. My Thanksgiving offering was to express gratitude to the American armed forces in the Middle East and to encourage people to contribute to organizations that provide help and sustenance for them and for their families.
Posted by: Attila (Pillage Idiot) at November 25, 2004 01:11 PMClearly, most immigrants and first generation Americans (myself included) appreciate America in a way that too few Americans do. As a Jew, I certainly am thankful at the low level of anti-Semitism in America.
Still, we should look back at Thanksgiving and ponder what the Pilgrims would think of their "city on a hill." I am certain that they would be horrified at our cultural decay. They may well be despondant at the political culture of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, where courts have imposed secular humanism in schools and homosexual marriage.
I wonder if the The Mayflower Compact can even be read aloud in any public school:
"In the name of God, Amen. We, whose names are underwritten, the Loyal Subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord, King James, by the Grace of God, of England, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, etc.
Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia; do by these presents, solemnly and mutually in the Presence of God and one of another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid; And by Virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and Offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the General good of the Colony; unto which we promise all due submission and obedience.
In Witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cape Cod the eleventh of November, in the Reign of our Sovereign Lord, King James of England, France and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth. Anno Domini, 1620."
What of the famous City on upon a Hill speech?
How many Americans even care to acknowledge our literal or communal forefathers?
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