Editor's Note We can still be thankful By Darcy L. Fargo

November 25, 2020

“I’m ready for 2020 to be over. It’s been the worst year ever!”

My son, Jake, age 13, uttered that sentiment recently.

While it’s definitely an understandable opinion (and one I’ve espoused at various moments over the course of the year), I pointed out to him that 2020 could’ve been far worse.

“We’re healthy. Our basic needs are met. The people we love are healthy, and their needs are met. It stinks, but the worst thing that’s happened to us is that we’ve had to stay home a lot. That’s not so bad.”

Though we’ve been dealing with the pandemic, attempting school and work from home, a shortage of toilet paper, being confined almost exclusively to our homes at various points and related uncertainties, we’re still trying to get into the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday, even if it doesn’t look like any Thanksgiving in my memory.

Due to the pandemic concerns, my family has called off its annual holiday gathering (we normally have around 40 people). The small Fargo family will likely spend our holiday at home, just the three of us. While we’re sad to lose that opportunity to be around our loud, crazy and wonderful family, we’re still trying to cultivate an “attitude of gratitude.” We’re still thankful.

We’re thankful to be spending more time together as a family than we have in years, possibly ever. We’re thankful we’re spending that time together in our safe and warm, but humble home, which is located in a neighborhood we love and relatively close to the family we love (also just far enough away from them). We’re thankful to have food in the refrigerator, freezer and cupboards. We’re thankful that we’re healthy.

Personally, I’m also thankful to have a career I love and for every interaction I get to have with the readers of this newspaper and the people of this diocese. I’m thankful to have a circle of friends who support me and keep pushing me to grow my relationship with the Lord. I’m thankful for every day God gives me on this earth, and I’m thankful God continuously works to draw me into Him and His ways.

This Thanksgiving, I’m trying very hard to be thankful. There are hardships, but there are always blessings, too. As we celebrate this holiday, I pray you can be thankful, too.