It’s the time of year when we’re supposed to be thankful for food, family, and friends, and the chance to enjoy all three at a table trimmed with turkey or before a flatscreen filled with football. While the true origins of the Thanksgiving holiday can be debated, its core purpose is seldom questioned: to take a moment to be intentionally grateful.
Giving Thanks
I have a lot to be grateful for this season, with both professional and personal reasons to give thanks. A few weeks ago, a member of my immediate family was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness that was caught early, treated well, and will, hopefully, be gone for good when it’s time to pack away this holiday season with the sparkly lights and Santa decorations.
Through this experience, I’ve spent a lot of time in hospital waiting rooms with other people waiting for outcomes that won’t be as lucky. Regardless of the diagnosis or prognosis, everyone I’ve encountered during this unexpected journey through critical care was utterly, unapologetically grateful…to be alive, to be cared for, to be fighting for another day to have another chance to be grateful.
Choosing Gratitude
If you Google “gratitude” (I have), you’ll find a million articles and blog posts convincing you that this state of mind is its own kind of wonder drug, and that practicing gratitude is good for your individual soul and our collective society. If you watch the news (I do), you may question whether gratitude as a lifestyle choice these days is a practical approach or a pipe dream, and for what we should be grateful during a time when our world is rippling with real and existential threats. (Remember when we thought 2020 was a year that couldn’t be topped for cumulative suffering? Seems like the good old days now…)
I can’t tell you what to be grateful for this Thanksgiving. What I can tell you is that this wasn’t the year I expected. It’s been worse and better. It’s been illuminating and obfuscating. It’s been a masterclass in learning restraint and patience and taking one day, one question, one test result at a time. It’s also been a well-timed reminder that good health is something you should never take for granted, and that it’s never too late to make better, healthier choices for yourself and the people who matter to you. For all of this, and for coworkers who supported me through every one of these life lessons, I am grateful.
From Our Families to Yours
Like the rest of the country, our team is planning Thanksgiving dinners and what dishes will be on the menu at our respective abodes on the fourth Thursday in November. What sounds appealing right now, besides the traditional Turkey Day staples, is comfort food that fills the belly and fits the season.
To that end, our Culture Foundry crew is sharing favorite recipes we make with our families during the holidays. They serve as great appetizers, side dishes, and follow-up meals you can make with your Thanksgiving leftovers. Click the links below to check out our featured fare, including ingredient lists and step-by-step instructions.
Whatever you’re serving this holiday season, we hope it comes with a big bowl of gratitude! We’re thankful for you, for trusting us with your digital assets, and for the chance to help you reach your audience, extend your brand, build your company, and accomplish your mission this year and beyond through the power of beautiful technology.
Happy Thanksgiving from the Culture Foundry Crew!
Culture Foundry Comfort Food
Chicken (or Turkey) Pot Pie
Turkey & Gravy Sandwiches
Chicken (or Turkey) Vegetable Soup with Homemade Broth
Butternut Squash Soup
Crunchy Bread Dressing with Bacon and Leeks
Classic Green Bean Casserole
Mom’s Mexican/Irish Pinto Beans
Fire-Roasted Salsa