Why this Thanksgiving is different

The last few weeks I’ve felt like a mourner at the funeral of the United States I was indoctrinated into believing existed. Not that I’ve been patriotic since the sixties, but the Constitution seemed earnest, and I thought that when it came to an aspirational experiment in freedom, there was a there here. But now we find ourselves considering the depth of the abyss of, well, your guess is as good as mine.

What will set me packing? The arrest of political rivals? A military unleashed on social dissidents? Containment cages for migrants?

I am already fearing for the abiding, evident goodness of my dear friends and beloved family, along with the Mr. Rogers-style helpers of this world. Safeguarding the light might come down to fleeing rather than fighting the darkness that has already settled.

Maybe you feel equal to this new reality, and you’re ready to resist, or ride it out. Maybe you are even interested to see where the detonation lands us. But, if you’re a planner like me, there’s no harm in talking through theoretical next steps with your tribe. It might bring the mood down around the holiday table, but I am sure I’m not the only person feeling less like it’s Thanksgiving and more like Passover, before the exodus.