Coming Together as a Nation to Give Thanks

So many of my favorite family moments, memories, and traditions come from Thanksgiving days.

Some, like the time I attempted to change my family’s sweet potato recipe, are best left unspoken. Others, I still look forward to every year, like watching my cousin Sarah make gravy using the precise technique that our grandmother taught our mothers years ago, and that they have since passed down to us.

Most of all, Thanksgiving to me is the sound of thirty people and three generations — with often a friend or two in the mix as well — gathering under one roof to eat a potluck meal and reconnect. We toast our chefs and each other. But most importantly, we toast those loved ones who are no longer with us, and the stories that follow are always the highlight of the day.

This year, and every year, I’m incredibly grateful for that gathering and for the ability to come together with people I cherish dearly to offer up our blessings. Because, despite the focus on an overflowing table of food, Thanksgiving at its core has always been about coming together.

Now, perhaps more than ever, coming together can feel difficult. This year, our country is going through a tumultuous time.

But we have a lot as a nation to come together to recognize, to celebrate, and to give thanks for.

How could we not, when we share this beautiful country? A country that is defined not only by its values, but also by the men and women who are so essential to upholding them.

As always during the holiday season, I am particularly grateful to the brave men and women of our Armed Forces, as well as those in our Foreign Service, who are stationed far from home while working to protect our freedoms. We owe each of them not only our thanks, but also our commitment to continue to ensure that our country is forever worthy of their sacrifices.

While we count our blessings this Thanksgiving, I am wishing for the continued prosperity and happiness of Granite Staters and all Americans. I am beyond thankful for the opportunity to serve you in the United States Senate, and I will continue to work to build the common understanding and common purpose that makes our democracy possible and, ultimately, stronger.