From the LI Team: What We’re Thankful For

From the LI Team: What We’re Thankful For

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the year.

Setting aside an entire four-day weekend to actively and collectively practice gratitude is an incredible part of our cultural heritage.

Because I do so love Thanksgiving, I asked the LI team to share their thoughts on this special day. Here’s what we’re thankful for.

William Jacobson

“I’m particularly thankful this year for my wife. We met 34 years ago, and it was love at first sight. She went home that night, woke her parents, and told them she’d met the person she was going to marry. It took me a little longer to come around to that view, but not much. We haven’t been apart since that first night. For the past 15 months she has suffered from a painful neurological condition which would have broken most people, including me. Yet she has weathered the storm in heroic fashion, continuing to worry more about those around her than about herself. We continue to seek a remedy, and have traveled the country consulting experts. While no solution is on the immediate horizon, we remain hopeful. I’m thankful for her because I know that if the roles were reversed, and I was the one suffering, she’d be by my side.”

Kemberlee Kaye

“I’ve so much to be thankful for that I’m not entirely sure where to begin. My life is a completely different place than it was a year ago. In that short time, I’ve become a wife, step-momma, and mommy. All three titles are an incredible privilege and I thank the Good Lord every day, several times a day, for giving me the opportunity to share my life with these three (and our dog). The political arena can be a morally vapid, joyless desert, but my little family makes everything I do worthwhile.

So unsurprisingly, I’m thankful for my family. My Momma, my Daddy, my sister, bro-in-law, aunts, cousins, non-related family and friends…all of them. They’re wonderfully quirky people and I’m proud to share blood with (most of) them. They tolerate me even when I’m intolerable, insufferable, intemperate, and uncaffeinated. I’m especially thankful for my husband who chooses to love me each and every day. He’s my plumb line, support, encourager, and baby swaddler supreme. I couldn’t be more grateful for him and the life we’re building together. My daughters are incredible girls. They’ve taught me love like I’ve never known. And my dog. She’s the best sidekick a girl could ask for. She’s been by my side for ten years and I’m thankful for her, too.

I cannot say enough about Professor Jacobson — hands down the best boss I’ve ever had. He’s always pushed and challenged me and I’m all the better for it. He and his wife are good people and I’m happy to know them. I’m so thankful to be part of the LI team; to work with Prof. J and the rest of the LI crew. Each and every person is unique in their thought and contribution and I’m always impressed and enlightened by the variety of perspectives our writers articulate. We’re small, but mighty and I love the work we do.

I’m also thankful for you. The internet is awash with news sites and blogs. I’m thankful you take the time to read what we have to say. Thankful and humbled.

We live in a country that decided our first concocted holiday would be one where we give thanks to our Creator for the blessings He so richly bestowed upon us. Not because we’re deserving — we’re not, but because we’ve been portioned mercy and grace aplenty so we might share our good fortune with others. May we never forget our cultural heritage or why we gorge ourselves on turkey.

Wishing you the happiest of Thanksgivings. May God bless you this day and the rest of your days to follow.”

Fuzzy Slippers

“This year, I am thankful that Hillary is not going to be our next president, but more personally, I am hugely thankful to and for Professor Jacobson, LI, the amazing LI team with whom I love working, and to and for our readers.

We, the LI team and our great community of readers, made it through the Obama Era together, and now, we move into the era of the Trump presidency together. That’s something for which it is easy to be thankful.

I think I will celebrate by raising a glass of wine to the end of the progressive stranglehold on American politics and culture. So here’s to the rejection of leftist thought-policing, identity politics, and perpetual whining. And here’s to the first Thanksgiving in years that we aren’t being urged to discuss the failed ObamaCare disaster over our family dinners.

Happy Thanksgiving, may yours be blessed and joyous.”

Aleister

“I love Thanksgiving because it’s like Christmas with none of the pressure of shopping or gifts.

This year I’m thankful for my family, friends and everyone at Legal Insurrection.

I’m also thankful for the outcome of the election. It’s so huge and means so much for the future of America.

Thank you legal Insurrection readers for letting me discuss politics with you here. My family has agreed not to discuss the topic at dinner. :)”

David Gerstman

“My career took a sharp turn three years ago and I want to thank Prof Jacobson for allowing me to blog at Legal Insurrection. Contributing to LI has been helpful to my professional development and as a bonus I’ve gotten to interact with the wonderful contributors at LI.”

Leslie Eastman

“I wish our Legal Insurrection fans a safe, happy, and blessed Thanksgiving Day. For those of you who have to prepare a dish to bring, but don’t want to spend much time, money, or energy, here is a recipe for you: 2 cans tomato soup (prepared per instructions), 1 can crab, 1-4 gloves garlic (minced, amount depending on taste), pepper to taste. Heat slowly in crock pot or simmer on stove. My friends and family love this!”

Mark Finkelstein

“I’m thankful for the opportunity that exists for real, positive change in America. The last time Republicans controlled the presidency and both houses of congress was at the beginning of Pres. George W. Bush’s administration in 2001. But I don’t recall anticipation at the time of sweeping changes in the offing. And in any case, 9/11 came soon thereafter, and attention swiftly focused on uprooting the Taliban in Afghanistan and then invading Iraq. But today, there is reason to think that we can move toward better policies on immigration, taxes, regulation and a foreign policy based on promoting America’s interests rather than on nation-building elsewhere.”

Vijeta Uniyal

““We can always find something to be thankful for, and there may be reasons why we ought to be thankful for even those dispensations which appear dark and frowning,” wrote the 19th century theologian Albert Barnes. This age-old wisdom holds true even today.

As a recent immigrant to Europe, I have all the more reason to be grateful for the liberty and prosperity I enjoy today. But with such privilege comes responsibility. Responsibility to cherish and defend the values that form the very foundation of the Western and European civilisation. Especially at a time when these values are under attack from the outside and scorned at home by the most privileged of the lot.

In these perilous times I am thankful for the opportunity to write alongside a band of brilliant and happy warriors at Legal Insurrection. I am equally thankful for the acceptance, love and guidance I receive almost daily from the readers.

May this Thanksgiving bring joy and peace to you and all those you love!”

Neo-neocon

“Since I like to eat, I am drawn to the fact that Thanksgiving is a food-oriented holiday with a basic obligatory theme (turkey plus seasonal autumnal food) and almost infinite variations on that theme. Sweet potatoes? Absolutely—but oh, the myriad ways to make them, some revolting, some sublime. Pie? Of course, but what kind? And what to put on it, ice cream, whipped cream, or both?

Thanksgiving is one of the few holidays that has a theme that is vaguely religious—giving thanks—but has no specific religious affiliation. So it’s a holiday that unites. It’s one of the least commercial holidays as well, because it involves no presents. It’s a home-based holiday, which is good, too, except for those who don’t have relatives or friends to be with. One drawback is the terribly compressed travel time; I solve that by not usually traveling very far if I can possibly help it.

The main advantage to hosting the day is having leftovers left over. The main disadvantage to hosting the day is having leftovers left over.

I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving Day, filled with friends and/or family of your choice, and just the right amount of leftovers!”

Professor Miriam Elman

“In the 1980s I was an idealistic ‘lone soldier’ serving in the Israel Defense Forces. A new immigrant to Israel, I had no security clearance for intelligence jobs (my preference) but ended up with good terms of service, doing translation work on an Air Force procurement base. (At one point I single-handedly re-organized the base library, irritated by the haphazard way in which the books and documents were shelved for analysts and researchers. Even at 18-years-old I was the biggest ‘yekke’ you ever met!) But Thanksgiving Day was always a lonely time—I had no close family living in Israel and Thanksgiving wasn’t as big a deal there among expats like it is today (see here and here). Allotted some monthly ‘points’ to use on phone calls to the States, I remember using them up in teary conversations with my folks on my favorite American holiday. Years later, I realize how difficult it was for them to have me so far away. But they were proud of my choice to make aliyah and move to Israel, become an Israeli citizen, and participate directly for a time in the Jewish people’s return to Zion and the building of the State of Israel. I’m glad to hear that today many American lone soldiers in the IDF are enjoying a turkey dinner in a new initiative that Mike’s Place, a very special Jerusalem (and Tel Aviv) sports bar and restaurant, is doing for this very special American holiday (see our post about Mike’s Place). I’m grateful that I can spend Thanksgiving with my parents, now nearing 90 years old and still going strong, G-d bless them. I’m thankful for all that America has done for me, my family, Israel, and the world. I give thanks to my fellow American-Israelis who are today serving in the IDF far away from their families, protecting us from the nefarious forces which would do harm to both our great nations.”

Mary Chastain

“I am thankful for many things, especially my family, cats, and those in the military who sacrifice everything for us. The family I speak of includes the Legal Insurrection team, who welcomed me with open arms back in April and has provided me with a great working environment. Thank you, Professor Jacobson, for taking a chance on me. Kemberlee has become one of my bestest and closest friends, one I can share anything with. I’m extremely thankful for our readers because without you we wouldn’t exist. THANK YOU! I’m also thankful to live in this country, which allows me to work freely. People complained so much during the election season, but I knew no matter who won, even Hillary, America would always remain the one bright light in this world.

I’m very thankful for my Chicago Cubs, who finally ended their 71 year pennant drought and 108 year World Series drought. (Yes I had to add that in!)

Follow Kemberlee on Twitter @kemberleekaye

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