There Are Things To Be Thankful For In 2020

The last time I looked, Thanksgiving was still on the calendar for 2020 and it could be scarier than Halloween, which was largely abandoned this year.

Americans will not abandon Thanksgiving. The holiday may be subdued but we’ll still manage to celebrate it somehow. Hopefully, safely. Family gatherings will be small, maybe remote. Our kids will not be coming home for the holiday. Maybe we’ll just have chicken dinner over Zoom.

As bad as 2020 has been, there is still much to be thankful for. I’m certainly thankful I haven’t been infected by Covid-19. Yet. At this stage of the pandemic it’s a game of hide and seek, where you win if you can hide until you receive the vaccine.

There are many things I’m thankful for. Of course I’m thankful for my wife, my kids (who are working from their homes but are safe, if bored), health (so far) and food (ice cream!). But here are some other things I’m especially thankful for this year. 

Frontline Workers

I’m always thankful for those who gave their lives for our country. But this year I’m also thankful for  frontline workers. This, of course, includes doctors and nurses – anyone dealing directly with those ill with COVID-19. It also includes the store clerks who face a steady stream of potentially ill customers. It includes emergency service personnel. It includes anyone, really, whose job forces them to interact face-to-face.

American Workers

I’m thankful for our nation of hard-working Americans. For all the talk of lazy workers, I’m convinced that Americans are on the whole conscientious workers. They just want to be treated fairly. During this pandemic we need to remember that we are a nation of vast resources so there should be no reason we can’t help those currently out of work due to the pandemic.

Diversity

I’m a thankful, privileged white male who has worked with people of different races, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age, and politics. It has taught me that we can all work together. We just need to treat everyone equally and fairly. Any privilege I might have to give up to achieve this is more than made up by embracing the many talents others have to give.

Elementary school taught me that the U.S. is a melting pot, a nation of people whose differences are what make us the envy of the world. Catherine and I would not have adopted two children from foreign countries if we didn’t believe that.

Elections

I’m thankful for elections, including the recent one. Elections in a democracy must be the one element that is sacred. You can argue about the Electoral College, voter turnout, methods of voting and a host of other elements involved in an election. But election fraud cannot be tolerated and thankfully it did not occur this time. Elections are the one element of politics that no one should ever be able to compromise.

Innovation

I’m thankful for cool new things. We now have hi-def TV, smart phones, smart vehicles, electric vehicles, and GPS. And who could live without a microwave?

We also have many sources of information to guide us in these troubled times. If you want to see how a pandemic is handled without good information, just watch an old Western where a disease such as yellow fever creates chaos and mistrust, resulting in someone’s death. Today we have newspapers, the internet, TV, telephone or radio. Yes, we also have misinformation. But we have many sources to verify information and we don’t receive it a month too late.

The internet has impacted your life even if you don’t use it. And those of us that do use it can do our shopping and banking from the safety of our homes. It takes a diverse nation to be really innovative.

Community Ed

I’m thankful for people like historian Fred Johnson who recently presented a very interesting Red Wing Community Ed class over Zoom on the history of Red Wing. Fred really did his research and produced a historical timeline of the numerous events over the past 200 years.

My greatest takeaway is that it reminded me that for all our current problems, it was much worse at times in the past. I highly recommend this course if it is offered again.

Earth and the Universe

I’m thankful for the wonders of the Earth and the universe. The solace that studying them provides is gratifying as a temporary escape from current events. Our problems really are tiny in the grand scheme of things. Even observing the changing seasons and weather are what help make life interesting.

We need to better learn how to take care of Earth so we can hand it off to subsequent generations. And one day there will be a generation that begins the journey to other parts of the universe.

Pets

I’m thankful for pets. Those of us with dogs and cats know the value they add to our lives. Yes, they are needy, expensive, and often in our way. But they are completely ignorant of the virus that stalks us and their undying devotion to us provides a diversion from our daily worries, even if for brief moments. This is true of any kind of pet or farm animal. Their simple lives make them reliant upon us but their affection for us is the return on investment we need right now.

May 2020 provide us all with 20/20 vision to see what we’re thankful for.