Gratefulness Out of Despair

The U.S. is celebrating Thanksgiving this week, and Canada celebrated theirs’ last month.  As we reflect on what we have to be grateful for, the obvious things come to mind – our family and friends, our work, our health and so much more.

But when we look at the direction the world seems headed, it can be tempting to drop your shoulders a bit, sigh and bury yourself in a good book.  Our task is to do the opposite, to look beyond to the broader picture. And to be thankful!

Nothing galvanizes a people or a nation like failure and suffering. While we certainly don’t wish that on anyone, it is a catalyst from which tomorrow’s light is born.  We come together and give thanks when we finally accept that our collective vision is bigger than blame and beyond arguments. It is this higher level of conversation that is evolving that we are thankful for.  Many of you saw the recent news of the lifting on the ban on trophy hunting in Zimbabwe and Zambia, a death sentence for endangered species in those countries. However, if we step back, we notice that the people we least expected to are calling for a hold on lifting this ban, and actually want to have a higher level conversation. For that we are thankful.

We are beginning to look beyond debating each other to engaging in meaningful dialogues that are filled with hope and focused on solutions.

We wish each of you and your families a welcoming and safe Thanksgiving holiday, and thank you for your continued support and partnership.