Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving isn't officially for another week, but it's never too soon to start reflecting on the spirit of Thanksgiving. To me, that's about gratitude, and also about remembering that people from different cultures can come together in harmony. Which, of course, seems like a fitting allegory for Chinese adoption (of course, now that adopting from China is on my mental radar, it seems that so much of life is a reminder of this journey... ever notice that?)

I've always felt there was something beautiful about the story of Thanksgiving; that the Pilgrims and the Native Americans were able to share a day of bounty and thanks is a lesson that has such contemporary implications. In a time when people seek to connect to their specific cultural roots (African Americans, Asian Americans, Jewish Americans, et al) it's easy to feel all too separate and divided. In truth we are both - we are products of our diverse heritages, and we are also all (at least in the U.S.) Americans - and for those of us adopting from China, it may be a challenge to incorporate those differences within our families. Or so I anticipate, as at this point it's all conjecture. But sometimes I really do wonder what I can expect in raising a Jewish Chinese American daughter! Thanksgiving Day is a reminder that we're all part of a greater identity, as members of the human race.

Thanksgiving is above all a day of giving thanks for what we have - a timely reminder at this time that shall one day be known as The Longest Wait, when the focus can often be on what we don't have (our children!!). I'll be writing about gratitude in a different post.