As a kid, I remember being surprised at how important Thanksgiving was for Americans.
Growing up in Venezuela, the most important holiday for us was Christmas. It always amazed me how the USA went overboard during Thanksgiving week with millions of people traveling home, cooking turkeys, and doing the impossible just to spend one day with their loved ones.
Now that I've emigrated to the USA I get it.
Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful for what one has and to appreciate everything that life has given us.It doesn't matter if it's big or small. It doesn't matter if you think you deserve more. It only matters that we're here, alive and giving it all every single day.
It makes sense that all Americans come together on this day. This country was built on the promise that everything is possible if we're willing to work for it. And this day reflects that. People do the impossible to travel and be with their families. Many even spend days cooking and preparing in advance for the big dinner.
So today, on my fourth Thanksgiving living in California I can't feel anything but being grateful for my family, my friends, and for calling this place home.