By Karla Perez

Amidst a global pandemic, political tension, a polarized nation, a new President-elect, and however many things that are going on in 2020, the holidays were on their way to perhaps save this year that so many have already given up on.

For many, this has been one of the most stressful and scary years of their lives. Some consider 2020 a blur of events; too much has happened for them to keep up with and it overwhelms people. Everyone craves normalcy in their lives, and what better than Thanksgiving coming up to lighten the mood?

Regardless of the not-so-nice history behind the holiday, Thanksgiving has been “reclaimed” as a day for American families to get together and share their gratitude at the dinner table, surrounding a turkey.

To some, this day was the epitome of familial upheaval—and this year in particular might bring about ever-growing tensions between relatives. Yesterday, younger generations have taken it upon themselves lately to use Thanksgiving, a day of reunion, to bring politics to the table. And that usually doesn’t end up well.

The older generations tend to be conservative or republican or supportive of Trump (unlike the majority of the activist generation). Everyone has seen the results of Thanksgiving dinners in the past years, but this year we received the results from the Presidential election. Joe Biden’s win means war to some families and there might be grand disputes on the day of.

The projected Presidential candidate isn’t the only major topic that hit the table this year—many teenagers and young adults have promised to talk about LGBTQ issues (like the latest plans to ban same-sex marriage) and the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement and the defunding/dismantling of the police forces.

Several already expect the worst from the upcoming holiday, but perhaps the solution comes down to appeasing with family for just one day. This year has been challenging for everyone, despite political-affiliations or contradicting views on humanitarian issues or anything else.

Not everyone loves or even likes their family, but sometimes forgiveness and conciliation, even if it’s just for a day, can be good for the soul. Many have probably not been able to see their family very often or at all this year given the circumstances, so if you can, take advantage of whatever residue Thanksgiving has trailed behind.

It’s not too late. Whether it’s the President-elect candidate or your family or your house or your pets, find something to be thankful for.

And remember that if you’re reading this, that means that you are alive, and for that alone you should be thankful.