As families gather around tables this Thanksgiving season, we have an opportunity to remember what truly matters: gratitude, connection, and the simple act of caring for one another. The warmth of shared meals and familiar faces reminds us that our common humanity transcends the artificial divisions we have created in our society.
Political arguments during holiday gatherings have become an unfortunate tradition, but perhaps this year we can choose differently. The constant bickering over party lines serves no constructive purpose and only weakens the bonds that hold our communities together. Political parties represent self-imposed divisions in our own society. We created these barriers ourselves, and we possess the power to look beyond them.
The Lycoming County Commissioners demonstrated this principle beautifully during their November 13th meeting, focusing on practical solutions rather than partisan posturing. Their collaborative approach shows that people with different perspectives can work together effectively when they prioritize serving constituents over scoring political points.
Working as a team benefits our community and our county in ways that transcend any single political ideology. When we focus on shared goals like safe neighborhoods, quality infrastructure, and economic opportunity, the path forward becomes clearer. These objectives require practical solutions, not ideological purity tests.
Fair taxation represents one area where teamwork produces better outcomes than partisan fighting. Ensuring that everyone pays their appropriate share creates the foundation for funding essential services and community programs. This principle applies equally to individuals, businesses, and institutions within our county.
Educational institutions, particularly, should contribute meaningfully to the communities that support them. When organizations promise partnership but fail to deliver on those commitments, it reflects poorly on their stated values. A recent example illustrates this disconnect perfectly: Penn College alum services rejected a $5,000 donation intended for the Covenant House to combat homelessness in our community. At the same time, Penn State Main Campus found $50,000,000 to fire their head football coach.
This contrast highlights misplaced priorities that plague many large institutions. The rejected donation amount would not have covered textbook costs for a single semester, yet it could have provided meaningful assistance to homeless individuals in our area. Meanwhile, the coaching buyout represents resources that could have funded countless community programs addressing fundamental human needs.
These examples demonstrate how institutional thinking often loses sight of human impact. When we prioritize public relations over public service, spectacle over substance, we fail the communities we claim to serve. Educational institutions, especially, should model the values they teach, including civic responsibility and community engagement.
But rather than dwelling on institutional failures, we can choose to focus on individual actions that create positive change. Every family gathering this season presents an opportunity to model the behavior we want to see in our broader community. When relatives express different political views, we can listen respectfully rather than arguing defensively.
This practice builds the skills necessary for effective community engagement. If we cannot find common ground with people we love, how can we expect to work productively with neighbors who hold different perspectives? Holiday tables become training grounds for the kind of civic discourse our democracy requires.
Children watching these interactions learn valuable lessons about handling disagreement. When adults demonstrate that relationships matter more than winning arguments, young people absorb those priorities. They see that love transcends political affiliation and that family bonds survive ideological differences.
These lessons extend naturally into community involvement. Neighbors who practice respectful dialogue at home bring those same skills to school board meetings, town halls, and volunteer organizations. The ripple effects of choosing grace over grievance spread throughout entire communities.
Our county benefits tremendously when residents engage constructively rather than destructively. Projects move forward more efficiently when stakeholders focus on shared objectives rather than partisan differences. Economic development thrives when businesses see stable, collaborative leadership rather than constant political drama.
The upcoming holiday season offers perfect timing for recommitting to this collaborative spirit. As we express gratitude for our blessings, we can also acknowledge our responsibility to contribute positively to community life. Thanksgiving reminds us that individual prosperity depends partly on collective well-being.
Simple human kindness often produces the most profound results. Choosing patience over anger, understanding over judgment, and cooperation over conflict creates the foundation for addressing complex challenges like homelessness, economic development, and infrastructure improvement.
When we work together as neighbors rather than adversaries, we honor the best traditions of both our community and our democratic system. The solutions we seek often lie not in partisan victory but in shared commitment to the common good.
This Thanksgiving, let us choose gratitude over grievance, unity over division, and hope over cynicism.
