A Season of Gratitude

Is it mere coincidence that the electoral season and the holiday season fall so closely together? Both seem to me to be times of introspection and thoughtfulness. During elections, we carefully consider our personal values and how they are represented by the leaders and laws we vote for. During the holidays, our thoughts are on our families or the people who surround us, so often the source of those same values. And in both seasons, we become more engaged with our communities and with the issues affecting our neighbors, our nation and our world.

These days, those issues can be frightening. The past decade, give or take a few years, has seen moments of great upheaval and change; a brief era that has certainly earned its place in the history books. Anxiety and tension have become the norm for many of us. When faced with these feelings, I remind myself that this is also a season of gratitude, for there are so many things in life to be deeply thankful for.

I worry about the divisive nature of our political climate.

I am grateful to live in a nation that provides us the right to vote and the ability to be involved in the workings of our government.

I worry for our public schools, for the safety of the students and teachers and for the support they so desperately need.

I am grateful for every involved parent, for every dedicated teacher, for every student that stands up for themselves and their peers, and for the nonprofits and foundations that provide them with resources.

I worry for our citizens who struggle with poverty and homelessness in the face of housing shortages, rising food costs and deeper inequality.

I am grateful for every shelter, for every outreach program, for every financial assistance organization, for every free clinic and every food bank.

I worry for the physical and mental health of our communities, as we all continue to feel the fallout of a global pandemic along with the many other diseases that affect the human body.

I am grateful for the agencies that provide free or affordable counseling, for the crisis intervention teams, for the rehabilitation centers, and for the nurses and doctors who refuse to give up even as their own bodies and minds become exhausted.

There are so, so many things in this world that cause us to be worried and fearful. Yet we see time and time again that there are just as many people who rise to challenge those fears, to work together and find solutions for these issues and to build a better world.

For each and every one of you who do so, I am grateful.

With Gratitude,

Marnie Taylor

President and CEO, Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits