A bird in a pet store. Going to rehab. God’s grace. Wives and husbands. Science teachers. Not growing up in imperial Japan. Emergency-room doctors. Our parents. Hanauma Bay. A kind heart. This newspaper.
These are among the many things Star-Advertiser readers told us made them thankful on this Thanksgiving Day. It’s an extraordinary list of ordinary things — the everyday stuff that defines and enriches our lives.
Conspicuously absent are the big, divisive topics in the headlines. No one gave thanks for our political leaders. No one praised the blessings of ChatGPT or Elon Musk. No one expressed gratitude for the right to carry a gun or get an abortion.
Instead, on this Thanksgiving Day, it’s fitting to focus on the seemingly small but authentic things that move our hearts and make our lives better. And this year, we need more gratitude than ever.
For the thousands of victims of the Maui fires of Aug. 8, feeling thankful today may be difficult, if not impossible. Instead of celebrating the day with family and friends in their homes, they may be in mourning in a cramped hotel room. Having lost nearly everything, they can see their emergency relief dwindling. Most of us can only imagine the exhausting struggles they have endured. What is there to be grateful for?
Perhaps the question asks too much from those who have lost so much. But gratitude is an essential emotion, one that helps us endure. Studies show that expressing gratitude can improve one’s mental and physical health; positive gestures release oxytocin, a hormone shown to decrease stress and anxiety. Of course, we cannot expect our neighbors on Maui to just look on the bright side; we can only hope they find some peace of mind.
Still, the rest of us can be grateful on their behalf.
We can be grateful to see the outpouring of love and support that came out of the tragedy. People from all over the state, acting swiftly, spontaneously and without government direction, collected tons of food, water and other supplies in a massive rescue operation. It was a true grassroots effort from the heart.
We can be grateful for those who contributed millions of dollars to the relief effort from all over the world, individually and through dozens of charitable organizations. The Hawaii Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund alone has raised more than $155 million as of Nov. 17.
We can be grateful for those farsighted people who are looking beyond mere survival. Historians, artists, experts in Native Hawaiian culture and grassroots activist groups like Lahaina Strong are working hard to ensure that the unique heart and soul of Lahaina Town are restored, along with houses and businesses.
We should be grateful for all of this, because it demonstrates our powerful — indeed, fundamental — desire to do good, not for ourselves but for one another. It’s the foundation upon which healthy communities are built, and our foundation remains strong.
It’s also a great comfort to know that when Lahaina and Kula are rebuilt (at an estimated construction cost of more than $5.5 billion), true success will not be measured by housing units or economic bottom lines. It will be measured by the return of ordinary things — the everyday stuff of life that bring us joy, and countless reasons to be truly grateful.
Happy Thanksgiving!
