As a boy growing up in Haiti, we didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving. Oh, compared to some of the families I saw, I certainly had a lot to be thankful for: a mother and father who were deeply in love and displayed, in their very different ways, what hard work and dedication to self, family and God, truly meant. I was lucky enough to attend a private school. In Haiti, with government unrest always on the agenda, you never knew if the public schools were going to be open, so one of the only ways to get an education was to pay for it and our father made sure we never went without.
And of course, I was thankful – albeit sad to say goodbye to this wonderful family – the day I left for Florida and my new life that would ultimately result in American citizenship and serving in the United States Navy. Maybe we didn’t have Thanksgiving, but I had plenty to be thankful for, and I still do.
Now I find myself with a beautiful wife, my childhood sweetheart, and two amazing sons who mean the world to me. I’m a successful coach and have the time and capacity to work on a couple of long-term side projects that are going to change lives. And I live in a country that does celebrate Thanksgiving, finally.
Before signing off, I’ve been following the news lately seeing massive layoffs in the tech industry and other signs with this ongoing inflation that our record-low unemployment is a bit of a mirage. I personally know several people who are looking for high quality jobs who can’t find suitable employment at the moment and it’s a shame because they are bright, capable folks who deserve a shot.
Are you thankful for your job? Yes, the hours can sometimes stink and in most workplaces, there’s at least one person (hopefully not the boss) who you wish you could just turn your back on a lot of the time, but if you’re gainfully employed and making enough money to support yourself and your family, I hope that on Thanksgiving – and every other day – you take the time to practice gratitude and are thankful for the job you have.
Yes, it’s true, unemployment is low. That’s because people don’t want to work at McDonald’s or in retail at the mall. Some of the incentives I’ve seen for part-time holiday help are unheard of, but very few people are looking for a job that will only last 10 weeks, even if it comes with $17/hour and a 40% discount. If there’s one thing that the pandemic did that we haven’t recovered from yet when it comes to employment, it’s given people a more exaggerated sense of their employment worth than they had before. That’s OK to have, but it’s also important to be grateful, especially this time of year, for what you have.
And if you’re one of those unlucky souls who is looking for the right job, don’t fret. It will come along. Ignore the unemployment statistics because they don’t mean anything if YOU don’t have a job. Be grateful for the things you do have and hopefully this time next year, you’ll be able to list a fulfilling, good-paying job among the things you are thankful for.
Finally, I’d like to let my readers know, whether you’re a devoted regular or just stumbled upon this blog for the first time today, I am very thankful for you. Without people showing interest in what I say, I probably wouldn’t have continued this very long, but I’ve been going on-and-off for several years now. I’m very thankful for you.