A.G. Gancarski
Thanksgiving can elicit complicated feelings of loss, and that is especially true in the year of COVID-19.
President-elect Joe Biden has spoken to that throughout the 2020 campaign, describing often his mourning process for his son Beau.
And on Thursday, Biden and First Lady in waiting Dr. Jill Biden spoke to the “empty chair” at the table in a CNN op-ed, addressing what that portends for those keenly feeling a loss on this day of thanksgiving and remembrance.
“This Thanksgiving, tables throughout our country will have an empty chair. It may be for the loved one who can’t travel or the parent stationed overseas. Perhaps it’s for your sister or brother just across town — staying away to protect everyone during this pandemic, making sure next year will be celebrated together,” the Bidens write.
“For the families of the Americans lost this year, that chair is another reminder that someone they love will never come home again.”
After describing the healing balm of Thanksgiving traditions, a big-gathering amelioration of deeply personal hurts, the Bidens account for the pandemic reality adding a new challenge to a complicated holiday.
“This year, our turkey will be smaller and the clatter of cooking a little quieter. There will be no family walks in the cold or playful bickering amongst the grandkids. Like millions of Americans, we are temporarily letting go of the traditions we can’t do safely,” the Bidens write.
“It is not a small sacrifice. These moments with our loved ones — time that’s lost — can’t be returned. Yet, we know it’s the price of protecting each other and one we don’t pay alone. Isolated in our own dining rooms and kitchens, scattered from coast to coast, we are healing together.”
The healing comes with thanks, the incoming First Couple notes.
“We must hold on to our gratitude for the people who show up every day and make our communities stronger. With courage, compassion and a commitment to fight for what we believe in, there is nothing this country can’t do. May the emptiness at our tables and in our hearts be filled with memories of love and laughter. May we cherish our traditions, even when they are out of reach, and hold on to the hope of what’s still to come. We’re going to get through this together, even if we have to be apart.”
