Written by Online therapist Dr. Gloria Vanderhorst, Ph.D.

THANKS

Gratitude, Connection, and the Power of Reflection

Thanks isn’t just a word—it’s a bridge. For individuals in Maryland and DC, this reflection explores how Thanksgiving rituals foster emotional connection, how gratitude transcends borders, and how small gestures carry profound meaning.

In November, everyone gears up for Thanksgiving. Some tables are pretty small with an immediate family only. Some tables are large with extended family and friends. Some tables are enormous, and family, friends, neighbors, and even strangers are found along the way. Regardless of your table, the day is intended to bring people together.

I hope your table will honor the originators of this celebration by retelling their stories. When I think of the hardship suffered by those who crossed an ocean, braved hostility, created a détente, and persisted in creating a new world for themselves and generations to come, I am grateful. My table will be set inside a well-insulated, heat and air-conditioned comfortable building called a house. My family and friends will make it home.

The holiday is celebrated in other countries around the world. In each, the reasons and commemoration are different. Canada has a Thanksgiving holiday to honor the past year. Liberia has a Thanksgiving to celebrate the founding of the country! Even a place in the Netherlands celebrates Thanksgiving. Brazil, the Philippines, and Germany have a Thanksgiving.

Giving thanks does not have to be confined to one day in late November. Families gather around the dinner table on a nightly basis and give thanks for the meal, their safety, and their love. People in the mall say thanks when you open the door for them. Thanks is such a small word. Yet, it carries meaning and feelings that can touch a person deeply at times.

A friend of mine sent a lovely Thanksgiving email celebrating her family, her health, and her gratitude for the friendships that she enjoys. Such a simple gesture popped into my email box. Unexpected. Welcomed. Moving.

When we touch each other emotionally, we stir something in ourselves and the other that only awakens through connection. We were born connected and spend our lives seeking and enjoying connection with others. Those connections need not be extended. The man who opens the door for me with a smile and a greeting is a valuable connection. The friend who stays up late at night with me to listen to my grief is a valuable connection. The husband who takes me to concerts and out to dinner is a precious connection.

This season is important because we are called to stop and reflect. Truthfully, though, I am thankful for these people and how they move in and out of my life every day. I do not say it enough. THANKS!

Want to explore the psychology of Thanksgiving rituals and gratitude? Visit Discover Magazine’s roundtable on Thanksgiving rituals, Heather Hayes’ guide to gratitude and family bonds, and Sage Therapy’s reflection on diverse Thanksgiving traditions.

If you’re reflecting on connection, gratitude, or emotional presence, therapy can help. Learn more about individual therapy in Maryland and DC or explore therapeutic approaches that support emotional insight and relational growth.