Showing Up at the Thanksgiving Table in 2020

This came across our social feed today: “Be an encourager! Most people are doing the best they can while fighting battles you and I don’t know about.” Thank you to Trey Peterson for sharing that this week…

As we move toward our Thanksgiving celebrations and everything that comes with this day, it’s important to remember that we’re all coming to the table (in-person or virtually) with different experiences. This pandemic has been a blessing to some and a source of trauma to others. Within our circles here at OrangeBall, we’ve seen every side of this – some clients thriving, and others just trying to survive. Some have contracted the virus, and others have lost family members to it. We’ve seen clients have to close their doors and eventually reopen, put their staff on furloughs, and completely pivot how they do business.

That’s what people are bringing to Thanksgiving dinner this year. Our experiences are all over the board – and that’s the point of today’s blog.

As you get ready to sit down with family and friends to share a meal and some gratitude, it’s important not to lose sight of the challenges this year has brought. The person across the table from you may be fighting some of those invisible battles that Trey mentioned in his post above. The struggles we can see others fighting are at least visible – it’s easier to care for someone when you know their challenge. The unseen challenges are more, well, challenging for us to deal with.

So, as you take a seat this year, remember this: Just because you’re good (however you define that), it doesn’t mean everyone is. When you arrive at Thanksgiving this year, make sure you bring some empathy, grace, and compassion to the table with your turkey, mashed potatoes, and green bean casserole. You might be the one who gets to extend those things to someone else, or maybe you need it a little more this year. Either way, make it part of your meal and your time together. Be there for one another. Make your experiences together this year count for something.

That kind of connection is something we can all be thankful for, no matter how we feel when we sit down at the table.

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This year has brought us a mixed bag of emotions and experiences. Keep that in mind this Thanksgiving, and let’s make room for all our collective 2020 journeys at the table.

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