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Sunday, November 15, 2026Nov 15

Opinion: On Thanksgiving, serve gratitude with a side of forgiveness

Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / Volunteers work filling plates.  Gratefull a free, city-wide Thanksgiving potluck food event took place the middle of Martin Luther King Junior Blvd. on November 16, 2023.
Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / Volunteers work filling plates. Gratefull a free, city-wide Thanksgiving potluck food event took place the middle of Martin Luther King Junior Blvd. on November 16, 2023.

Thanksgiving is a time of year when we traditionally focus on gratitude.

In my family, that involves sharing thanks and grace at a table overflowing with Thanksgiving fare. Our comments are reflective, but also a prelude to the feast.

This year, as I radiate thankfulness to family and friends, I am also grappling with the more complex concept of forgiveness.

On both a global and personal scale, it is difficult to move beyond platitudes to action. I’ve noticed that I’m not alone.

In January, the Children’s Museum of Atlanta presents “XOXO: An Exhibit About Love & Forgiveness” as a space for families and children to reflect and generate conversations about forgiveness.