"The rituals of giving thanks tend to vary from culture to culture. From acts as small as completing a chore for a partner, to remembering a friend's coffee order, to cooking family recipes for an ancestral table, displaying gratitude is a practice that reinforces our sense of belonging, especially as we navigate the often turbulent waters of becoming an adult and creating a found family."
"Over warmed yams, bottles of wine, and a stubbornly frozen turkey, they pour out their hearts and weigh the costs and rewards of what they had to give up for the promise of a future in the U.S. Luna describes her first experience in America - visiting Disneyland on her honeymoon - with joy and excitement, but also notes that she and her husband couldn't afford to actually go into the park."
Two young immigrants, Luna from the Philippines and Jane from South Korea, meet in a barren grocery store on Thanksgiving evening and share a meal at Luna's home. They trade stories about the sacrifices required to pursue a future in the United States, including poignant moments of longing and near-attainment of the American Dream. Over warmed yams and a frozen turkey, emotional defenses erode and reciprocal understanding grows. Their conversation spurs a shared fantasy of an ideal community and home defined by mutual appreciation, gratitude, and the freedom to be their true selves.
Read at Washingtonian - The website that Washington lives by.
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