FEATURE ARTICLES

A time to be thankful during dark times…

By Jorge Diaz, MSW Clinical Social Worker
Jorgeadiaz2010@gmail.com

The holiday season is here again… a time to celebrate and be with family and friends. Thanksgiving is the holiday that sets it off and the one that we are challenges to reflect and be thankful for all of our blessings. But with all the tragedies in the world, from the hurricanes in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico, to the deadly earthquake in Mexico or the massacre in Las Vegas to the 600,000 DREAMERS that have lost basic protection and their dreams and goals of reaching the “American Dream.” One would ask, what exactly do we have to be thankful for? What should I be grateful for exactly? It seems like life experiences continues to challenge our faith, the power of unity and our individual strength to face the most challenging life experiences.
There are no words for my brothers and sisters in México, Texas or Puerto Rico; what can I say to individuals who have lost everything, from personal and sentimental belongings to their communities and homes. In the last 9 months, we have seen families separated by politics and a broken immigration system and an administration that continues to attack our Latino community.
To my DREAMERS, well, your name says it all “DREAMERS.” A dreamer never stops dreaming and believing that this fight was meant to be won and we believe you will win this fight. And for our brothers and sisters in Las Vegas processing grief and loss after the massacre-we are here with you and just know that grief and loss is a process. It appears that we as a nation and community continue to be challenged to demonstrate our leadership and resiliency.
We continue to be faced with tragedy and loss; however, we must never lose our faith or hope that we will overcome these traumatizing experiences. We have good health that will allow for us to stay strong, good friends and family that will stand by us in a time of grief and loss and we should never lose hope for a better tomorrow. We do indeed have a lot to be thankful for even during these tough times. We should be grateful for what we have, for what we have lost and what we will gain and learn from all of these painful experiences.