A Thanksgiving Realization

As my family bowed our heads to give thanks for our gigantic dinner of turkey, stuffing, and all of the Thanksgiving accessories and for the company of each other as another year has almost passed, my prayers extended to the people that I have met in Camden. I couldn’t help but think of those who aren’t as fortunate as me who can’t afford to cook mega meals for their loved ones or are unable to even be with their families whether it be because they have lost them or because they are on probation and cannot leave the state, such as one man I have met in the city. The only thing that kept my extended family separated this year was distance and the fact that my cousin on the other side of the country is pregnant and due in a week. My nearby aunts and uncles and cousins did join us for dinner, however, and the love that surrounded one dinner table could barely fit inside of the room. We tease, argue, laugh, and laugh harder.

However, as I was thinking about Camden, I realized that the feeling I had inside of me has occurred more than on just Thanksgiving. It’s very cliché to say that Thanksgiving shouldn’t be the only day we “give thanks” and I realized today that each visit that I have had to Camden has given me this feeling of gratefulness. I have honestly experienced recurring “Thanksgivings,” minus the turkey or feast. Then I felt silly for feeling sorry for the people of Camden. The wholehearted people that they are probably give thanks each and every day they wake up and see the people around them, both family and extended kin. All I can wish is that they have food in their stomachs and people around them that love them.