As I sit down to write this, it is 85 degrees in South Texas. So much for Autumn breezes. Nevertheless, we have pumpkin spice lattes, so we can pretend!
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the U.S. With the runaway train which 2020 has been, this holiday seems more poignant than ever to me. My immediate family (including my 85-year-old mother in Florida) has so far managed to make it through the COVID-19 pandemic relatively unscathed. My partner’s family has not been nearly as lucky. My 16-year-old son is restless and bored, but healthy and thriving in his online classes. His biggest worry right now is “Will I have a normal senior year next year, with prom and a graduation service and all that?” At his age, he simply does not grasp yet how lucky he is in so many ways for that to be his main cause for stress.
Like millions of others, we panic when one of us coughs or cannot smell something the other feels should be “smell-able.” We have removed people from our lives (hopefully temporarily) who scoff at social distancing or refuse to wear a mask. Instead of attending cookouts or quinceañeras, we now simply ride in the Texas Hill Country or assemble jigsaw puzzles or rake leaves in the backyard. Life, while at times monotonous and mundane, is also full of unexpected joys we never had time to enjoy before. Oddly, we know our neighbors better now than we did before social distancing. Just a wave across the street sometimes feels like a hug.
So this Thanksgiving, I am giving thanks for a great many things. First, of course, the lives and health of those I love. I also am grateful for the untold number of healthcare workers and other essential personnel out there who are battling on our behalf. I give thanks for Hector and Christina in the F.W.S. Office, both of whom keep me sane and productive.
On behalf of the F.W.S. Office, we give thanks this year for our wonderfully supportive Fellowship, including the Board of Trustees who have allowed us to work remotely when possible, so that we can protect ourselves and our community. We realize how lucky we are to have that option when so many worldwide are facing income insecurity. We give thanks for the members of our Fellowship who have called or written to check on us, to contribute, and to order merchandise. Hearing those familiar voices and seeing those familiar names is a source of relief and comfort.
If you observe Thanksgiving, I hope yours was wonderful. Onward toward 2021!
Respectfully,
Pam Martin
Executive Director
