Thanksgiving is for Coming Together.

The Guyanese did not give the passing of the 4th Thursday in November much though. The American missionaries, Peace Corps volunteers, World Teach teachers and student missionary however, did. We gathered yesterday at the home of the Wickwires (who, incidentally, are Canadian and so had a second Thanksgiving) for our Thanksgiving celebration. The house was crackling with excitement and good cheer as people and food began to arrive. Everyone has been planning what to bring, how to get here, and looking forward to the day for weeks now. Travis and Harmony (Peace Corps) came in for the day from their school and health hut at Kumwata (an morning’s travel away), Emily (Peace Corps) came from White Water, three teachers arrived from Wauna. From Mabaruma came Lizzy and Suzanne (World Teach), Nate and Ilona (Peace Corps at the hospital), LaBores, Van Fossens, and I. All together there were almost 30 white people assembled under one roof in the midst of Mabaruma to eat, talk, and be thankful. Despite the homogeneity of completion, our group was quite diverse. Health workers, Bible workers, teachers, students, English, Canadian, Scottish, Puerto Rican, America. All and more were represented. We don’t really all know each other either. Everyone is busy working in their own place and even though I’ve been here 2 months now this was the first time I had met Nate, who lives in Mabaruma, to say nothing of the rest who came in. We piled the table full of food-everyone doing their best to make the Guyanese ingredients taste like the American holiday. We had two turkeys, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, a plethora of pumpkin pies, plus other dishes. And we ate and ate and ate. And then talked and ate some more. When we shared what we were thankful for patterns emerged. We were thankful to be there, safe though another year. We were thankful for the support of our families and friends at home, we were thankful for the kindness of our friends here. The room was filled with stories and laughter from all corners for hours. It was really beautiful to sit at that long table and see everyone, so mixed in background, political view, religion, occupation, and age come together in joyful thankfulness.

Earlier yesterday I read the Thanksgiving story to my kids as they lay crowded in the “Mayflower” hammock. It is been a while since I have read that story. I am sure I studied it in school and we probably even touched on it in US History with Monty Buell last year. But the Thanksgiving holiday for me has never been much more than a break from school, a harbinger to my birthday, a time to travel, eat, and then go home again. The food has always been good, I have taken the opportunity to stuff myself before, but it is so much different to gaze upon a table filled with home like food when I have been away from home. It has always been a time to come together with family, but it is so much different to come together with people I have never met before, may never see again, and yet find their hopes, aches, and joys mimic my own. It was beautiful to come together at Thanksgiving and find that in thanksgiving we were closer together then we ever realized before. I don’t think that the Wickwire’s house in Guyana is the only place that can happen. I hope that Thanksgiving day isn’t the only time it can happen either. There may not be a time when I enjoy stuffing more, but but I hope that there are many more times that I am truly thankful and find others thankful with me.