I don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. As a Filipino American, Christmas celebrations have already been underway since September 1, the beginning of the “-ber” months. I’ve already been thinking about themes for holiday decorations, color schemes, and gifts. I try to keep the Christmas holiday spirit at bay until at least after Halloween, but like many others on Guam, the minute it hits November, Mariah Carey, WAM, and Bing Crosby start gracing my daily music playlist.
But let’s go back to Thanksgiving. It does not escape me that this holiday romanticizes what happened in 1621 between the British settlers who were later called “Pilgrims” and the Wampanoag tribe in what is now known as Massachusetts. It is also not lost on me that many Native Americans view this holiday as a “day of mourning,” as a reminder of the genocide they suffered at the hands of settlers, while others remain ambivalent about this holiday. I am not here to sanitize the very complex and often painful history of our country and the different emotions that Thanksgiving evokes in our indigenous peoples.
Although the historical roots of this holiday are grounded more in myth and symbolism, I have developed an appreciation for the modern spirit imbued in Thanksgiving, as a time for expressing gratitude and for families coming together to share a special meal. I also accept that it is time for many individuals and groups to flex their charitable muscles and give back to causes near and dear to their hearts. So, let November be a month of gratitude and giving thanks to those who make our lives and this world a better place to live. I’ll start.
I thank my grandparents. Thank you for your resilience, for your wisdom, and for your absolute determination to survive. Even as an adult, I still get to know you, and I still trace my roots and lineage that led me to the person I am today. Thank you for my wonder, persistence, and respect for life, nature, and the world around me. And thank you also for my curly hair.
I give thanks to my family. I thank my parents who supported my goals and endeavors, no matter how far-fetched they seemed. I was able to go to college halfway across the world, live in different countries and learn more about the world because of you. Thank you for always trying to be there for me the best way you knew how. I thank my brothers for putting up with me as the eldest and for being my playmates while I was growing up. And thank you also for the laughter we shared and for growing with me.
I thank my friends near and far. You helped bring out the light within me and gave me the safe space to be unapologetically me. Thank you for celebrating my victories, comforting me in my losses and giving me the gift of presence, companionship and shared joy.
I give thanks to my groups, groups and communities. Thank you for fostering a sense of belonging in me. Thank you also for allowing me the space to share my ideas and passions, learn new skills and perspectives, and gain a greater understanding of different cultures and peoples. Thank you for assuring me that community is a powerful element in promoting our well-being.
Finally, I thank you. Thank you for reading and letting me be a small part of your life. I hope, at the very least, I’ve given you something to think about and, at most, inspired you to express your gratitude outward. For many of us, it has been a difficult year, and while I will not even begin to stomach the degree and frequency of the difficulties you have experienced, I simply want to thank you for being here. Thank you for the good things you do for your loved ones and your community. Thank you for not giving up. Thank you.
Dulce Amor Embu is a student pursuing a master’s degree in counseling at the University of Guam. She is a mental health advocate working for a more sustainable lifestyle and hails from Mangilao Village.
