This I Believe - Giving Thanks Edition

This week the US celebrated Thanksgiving, and as usual it hit me with conflicting emotions and sentiments. As a child, I called this holiday my favorite—but honestly, I was all about the food. My family celebrated with my maternal grandparents, the ones I highlighted in last week's post. My mother was an only child, so it was just my parents, grandparents, and three siblings gathered around the table. As you can imagine from my descriptions of cooking with my beloved Gram, it was always a feast to behold. We'd watch the Macy's Parade, then eat and eat and eat. None of the adults were really football fans, so I wasn't exposed to that part of the tradition.

As a child of the '60s, I was taught the story of the first Thanksgiving as a rite of passage, without question. No one—at least that I heard—thought to challenge it. It wasn't until my mid-30s, when I was majoring in Anthropology at SUNY Potsdam, that I fully understood the atrocities inflicted upon Native peoples by my own ancestors—atrocities we have so cleverly disguised through sanitized stories and selective retellings of history. I try to reconcile those facts daily: the people I come from made my presence here possible through hundreds of years of colonization—stealing land and lives from the people who were already here, destroying their culture, traditions, and languages in the process.

Which brings me to the following truths that I believe with my whole being:

• I am grateful for my life and my family and proud to be a multigenerational resident of the rural North Country of New York State. (Thankfully, they chose the northern climes; I likely would not survive a year-round warm/humid environment.)
• I cannot erase or alter the trauma my ancestors inflicted; I can only name that harm and dedicate my life to doing good work and making positive change for my community. I am indebted to all the folks who support me in this work.
• On a broader scale, no person is "illegal." First, the word illegal is an adjective, not a noun—it describes actions, not human beings. The people who come here from other places are seeking a better, safer life than the one they left behind—which is exactly why most of us white folks are here. Our European ancestors did the exact same thing. Second, most have followed protocol but are still being hunted down, kidnapped, and persecuted—illegally imprisoned by this current regime. These individuals have contributed immensely to our society, laboring in agricultural, construction, and retail jobs that weren't being filled by the available workforce—they literally do the work no one else will do. As a group, they have paid more taxes than many large corporations and their billionaire owners combined. I am reminded that diversity is the key to our survival and grateful that these humans bravely persist.
• In that same vein, every person alive is entitled to, at the bare minimum, safe and comfortable housing, enough food and water, healthcare, and a supportive community where they can learn and grow. If that statement seems radical, consider the alternative—which is exactly where we are right now. People have to prove they are worthy of those basics. Pearls are clutched when someone accesses something they don't "deserve." Meanwhile, our society rewards the ultra-wealthy and pits the rest of us against each other. The propaganda machine is working in overdrive.
• All human beings are self-directed learners with interests and aspirations. It is societal and cultural norms that, more often than not, shut that down.
• Compassion and empathy should be the starting point for every interaction, even when anger, frustration, or disappointment are triggered.
• "No" can be said from a place of grace and kindness. Additionally, it is a complete sentence all by itself—period, full stop.
• On a related note, judgment rarely helps. Before commenting on someone's appearance or choices, ask yourself: can they fix this in five minutes? If not—whether it's their outfit, hairstyle, life decision, or anything else they can't immediately change—keep it to yourself. Instead, offer genuine support and encouragement. These small acts of kindness are far more powerful in building meaningful, positive relationships.
• Living life in a state of gratitude is essential, especially when things seem the most dire.

I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to share my thoughts (and occasional rants) with you each week. Thank you for reading and engaging with these posts, and for supporting Deep Root Center's vision of an equitable, self-directed education for everyone.

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DRC News

Weekly Wrap-up
The DRC Canton Crew had a short week and most of it was spent in the kitchen prepping for the traditional Thanksgiving feast (with chickens instead of turkey) we served for DRC families.  Thank you to everyone who came to hang out and eat with us. 

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Big News

Gratitude - This simple envelope that was sent Wednesday, 11/26 represents an enormous positive step forward for Deep Root Center. It contains the final payment to discharge the mortgage on 48 Riverside Drive.

For those who don't know, because we are a small not-for profit and no bank would even consider working with us seven years ago, the previous owner graciously held the mortgage for us. He even extended the time period two years ago when we couldn't raise the balloon payment.

Now, thanks to a tip from our accountant, Nathan Wray, we were able to secure a 5 year loan from AmeriCu in Watertown to make this final payment a year early. It brings our monthly financial obligation down to 60% of what we were paying, and we won't have a balloon payment to worry about.

We are deeply grateful for everyone who has helped us along the way to this momentous occasion!

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Despite this incredible boost, we still need your support during our fall funding appeal to fulfill our promise to the NoCo community. Our pay-what-you-can policy keeps DRC accessible to families who otherwise couldn't afford to send their children. Last year alone, we provided $124,000 in fee assistance, and we're on track to provide more than $64,000 this year. ​You can help us keep our promise to the folks of the North Country who rely on our services. 

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As we enter this season of gratitude and giving, this is a reminder that one meaningful way to honor a friend, family member, or someone special in your life—especially if you're observing the economic blackout this week as a form of protest or are looking for alternatives to material gifts—is to make a donation to DRC in their name. Click the donate button and simply provide us with their name and address, and we'll send them a note informing them of your thoughtful gift. ​

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