The entry below is being cross posted from Marjorie Arons-Barron’s own blog.

During my tenure at WCVB-TV, Channel 5, I would write an annual Thanksgiving week editorial railing at all the turkeys in our lives. Favorite targets were members of the legislature who……., drivers who…….., people in lines at the store who………, teenagers who…………, television advertisers who………… The presentation was dramatically enhanced by the station’s super-talented Creative Services Department, who designed hilarious animations to illustrate all my pet peeves.

Then, on the day before Thanksgiving, another editorial praised some of the unsung heroes of our world, not astronauts like Mark Kelly or pilots like Sully Sullivan, but little-noticed yet profoundly-appreciated heroes who spend their holidays caring for the sick, the local firefighters who daily risk their lives simply because it’s part of their jobs, or the mother of four who joyfully takes on the burden of raising additional foster children.

Viewers liked the latter expressions of gratitude, but they really loved the animations of life’s annoyances.

We were lucky then that, for so many, the issues we bemoaned now seem minor irritants. Today, in the Donald Trump era, life is chaos, and the potholes are not just holes in the road but gouges savagely ripped from decency and long-held norms. The President has weaponized the justice system; exacerbated the hunger and health issues plaguing millions here and around the world; sold out Ukraine and given Vladimir Putin license to move against Poland, Estonia or Finland; sought credit for bringing lasting peace to the Middle East and elsewhere where little exists; handed over once-trusted health agencies to anti-science ideologues; upended the burgeoning renewable energy industry setting back improvements in climate change by decades; assaulted academic freedom; gilded every structure within sight of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and engaged in unchecked predatory self-enrichment and crony patronage. Need I go on?

So this season, I won’t even attempt to portray Trump as just another of my Thanksgiving turkeys. Instead, I’ll just give a full-throated shout-out of profound gratitude for my wonderful husband, my children and grandchildren, my sister, my friends, my home and my garden, my health and the health of my loved ones, the deep joys of symphonic music, the beauty created by gifted artists, the satisfaction of a well-written book. (Should I add the surprising turnaround of the New England Patriots?)  I also give thanks for you, my devoted readers, who send me emails or make occasional comments on my blog. It means so much knowing you are out there and engaged.

So, go. Enjoy your holiday get-togethers. Stop the doom-scrolling and turn off the news. Worrying does not eliminate tomorrow’s troubles. Let’s not let it suffocate the chance for a holiday respite. I wish you all joyous gatherings, bountiful meals, and genuinely happy smiles – no matter who’s around the table.