Dear America,
There are so many reasons to be thankful. All too often, we take for granted many things and in the process forget that our lives are fragile and that it is far easier to complain than to appreciate. We saw this in the destruction of lives by disasters like wildfires and hurricanes; in acts of violence such as the massacre of people at a bar or a place of worship; and many other instances in which we are reminded that nothing should be taken for granted. But there is another reason to be thankful: being an American, especially one from a world away and who had never dreamed of having or thought ever existed all that you have to give.
I am thankful to you for welcoming me with open arms, just as the Mayflower Pilgrims before me found a welcoming refuge in a new land. When my own mother country could not provide me with essential opportunities to succeed in life such as an education because I was born deaf and blind, you readily provided most of them to me. Unable to read and write in my native language, you introduced me to your beautiful language, English. When I could not read the printed word that many of your children did, you taught me Braille so that I could read like everyone else.
I am thankful to you for imparting in me a sincere belief that anything is possible. Growing up in Eritrea, so many of the things we take for granted in my adopted country did not exist. Not because I was living in the distant past, but because I had never known them to be possible. At the end of my high school and into my early 20s, I discovered so many details of your history, past and present. The landing of one of your children on the moon and the invention of the Internet stand out as two key examples. If these things were possible, then anything is possible. This has special significance for people like myself, because they demonstrate that you possess the ability to assure the full and equal participation of all your children regardless of their abilities. And for that, I am grateful. I know there are limits to what I can do as a person with disabilities, for I have to face challenges on a daily basis because of these limits. But these limits exist not because you are not able to eliminate them, but rather, some of your children, especially those who control the economic and political aspects of life, are either ignorant or disinterested. Nevertheless, the fact that I have the honor of calling this place from where I write to you home is something to be deeply thankful for, for there’s so much I can do that I would otherwise not be able to do in the country from where I came. And you, my dear, give me hope that whatever needs to be dealt with in order to assure my equal citizenship will eventually be taken care of.
I am thankful for your enduring strength. In the years that I have lived in America, there were moments that challenged my steadfast faith in and pride of your values. Some of your children, especially those in politics, used cheap rhetoric and dirty tricks in your good name. They relentlessly challenged each other’s loyalty to, and love of, America. But you insisted that you love, and always have loved and always will, no matter how they sought to sow division among your children. But I would opinine that the meanness of our politics is much smaller than your values that many around the world seek to emulate, and that anyone who respects you and the ideals by which you live truly loves you and strives for unity and peace. I know you have weathered the stormiest of storms throughout your history and that every difficult moment in your life will eventually come to pass. Your enduring strength is another reason I am thankful to be among your kind.
Last but certainly not least, I am grateful to simply be alive to write this. Thanksgiving Day is an occasion in which your children come together to feast and to give thanks for different reasons. But for me, every day is a day to celebrate our successes and failures, our luck and misfortune. On a given day, something terrible could have happened to me, be it a car hitting me because one of your streets are not accessible to your deafblind citizens; a natural disaster striking and I get injured or killed, either because I did not have the chance to escape or because the physical barriers or attitudes of some of your children left me behind. You have made so much progress in improving, and continue to strive for and insist upon, the safety and well-being of all your children regardless of their ability. I don’t know what the quality of my life would be like if I had stayed in the place where I was born, but I have so much that many do not: a home, food security, constant access to the Internet, a good education. Of course, they did not come to me easily — I had to struggle to attain them and still must struggle to overcome many hurdles on a daily basis. Nothing is perfect, but I know you do not aim for perfection — you strive for great good, to keep everyone as safe as possible and to include everyone in as many facets of daily life as possible. I conclude here with this recap: you have shown that anything is possible, that we all go through difficulties and eventually always triumph over them, and that love and inclusion always prevail. Thank you, America.