It’s that time of year again when residents of the United States abandon their jobs and gather at the homes of friends and families to give thanks.
While the US in an economic quagmire and many may think there isn’t much to be thankful about, there certainly is; especially here in the Cayman Islands.
Yes, we know Thanksgiving is something practiced as a holiday on in the US and Canada. It’s not a Caymanian holiday.
But there are many Caymanians with ties to the US that do thaw out a turkey, roast it and serve it up with traditional Thanksgiving side dishes or our own breadkind.
Just because we, as a country, do not recognise Thanksgiving as a holiday, we do have reason to be thankful today and every day.
For starters, hurricane season could have been worse than it was. There are even Cayman Brackers who would agree with us.
While the Brac received major damage from Hurricane Paloma, not one life was lost.
Buildings can be replaced. Possessions can be replaced. People cannot.
Brackers can also be thankful that they received immediate help and assistance from Grand Cayman, while its residents had to wait several days and weeks on supplies to come in from the US after Hurricane Ivan in 2004.
Both hurricanes caused extensive damage, but all residents of the Cayman Islands have much to be thankful for following the passage of those storms.
While some of us face this day of thanksgiving and the upcoming holiday season with the pain of the loss of a loved one, we can be thankful that person was allowed to be in our lives; to touch us, hold us, offer sage advice, comfort us. We’ll miss them and our hearts will hurt, but we are better people for having had them in our lives and for that we can give thanks.
In the Cayman Islands we can be thankful for our heritage and to those who work tirelessly to ensure its preservation.
On individual levels we can be thankful for families and friends;
For our jobs because it means we are earning a wage and can afford to eat and feed our families;
For the opportunity to raise our children to be good, caring, loving, productive individuals who will be able to help lead our country forward in the future;
For the opportunity to help charity organisations make sure that those who have needs get those needs met. Organisations like Meals on Wheels, which makes sure hundreds of people get a hot meal each day, our service clubs that do so much for others, the NCVO, Hospice Care, Cancer Society and many, many more groups of individuals who put service above self and make our country a better place to live.
We can be thankful that we live in a country where there is freedom of religion, where we are able to talk freely about our government, where newspapers are able to publish without government interference (and they are, contrary to much public opinion).
Most of all we can be thankful for life and the ability to live it more abundantly for our community and fellow man.
While our neighbours to the north take off this day to commune and fellowship, we too can use this day to reflect and give thanks.
While some of us face this day of thanksgiving and the upcoming holiday season with the pain of the loss of a loved one, we can be thankful that person was allowed to be in our lives; to touch us, hold us, offer sage advice, comfort us. We’ll miss them and our hearts will hurt, but we are better people for having had them in our lives and for that we can give thanks.
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