Slow Down, Take Stock

With Thanksgiving upon us, many are thinking about the familiar comforts of the season – family gatherings, favorite recipes, maybe even the annual debate over whether the cranberry sauce should be homemade or served straight from the can. But beyond the ritual and routine, Thanksgiving offers something deeper: an invitation to slow down and take stock of how we show up for one another in our community.

Gratitude is often treated like a feeling – something that arrives on its own when life is going well. But, in practice, gratitude is a discipline. This year as our country continues to feel the strains of division, uncertainty and change, the discipline of gratitude feels not only timely but necessary.

Practicing gratitude doesn’t mean ignoring hardship; it means acknowledging the ways we support each other through it. Look around our community and you’ll find countless quiet acts of generosity: volunteers who stock local food pantries, neighbors who check in on older residents, teachers who bring warmth and stability to children during difficult times, health workers who continue to carry enormous workloads without fanfare. These gestures rarely make headlines, but they are the backbone of our communities.

Thanksgiving can also be a moment for humility. The holiday’s history is complex and in recent years many people have begun to understand more about the experiences of Indigenous communities whose stories were long left out of the national narrative. That knowledge invites us to approach the day with a broader and more honest sense of gratitude – one that respects the full history of the land we live on and the peoples who shaped it.

At its best, Thanksgiving reminds us that gratitude is not an endpoint but a starting place. It can inspire action: donating to a local shelter, checking in on someone who might be spending the holiday alone or simply being more intentional about recognizing the people who make our daily lives possible. In a moment when so much feels uncertain, choosing gratitude is a powerful way to strengthen the bonds that hold communities together.

So this Thanksgiving, let’s enjoy the traditions that bring us comfort and joy – but let’s also carry forward the spirit of the day long after the leftovers are gone. Gratitude, practiced regularly, can make us not only more appreciative but more connected, more resilient and more compassionate.

And that’s something worth celebrating.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact our district office if you have questions or if we can be of assistance. Our phone number is (818) 558-3043 and email address is Assemblymember.Schultz@Assembly.ca.gov.