Journey 
This year, the Thanksgiving table feels a bit heavier. Between global and humanitarian crises, personal grief and losses, and a shifting societal landscape, young people are asking, internally if not outwardly: how do I feel thankful and give thanks when both gratitude and grief sit side by side?
Thanksgiving traditionally offers this ideal founded on the pillars of family, unity, abundance, and ritual. Family and friends gather from all over to come together and eat good food, chat, and laugh. Yet in 2025, many of us are reshaping these rituals to better represent and fit the lives we live presently. There’s been an undeniable resurgence in transformation, as we, as young people, are reimagining our own traditions and often leaving behind the traditions most of us were raised on.
There’s been a beautiful uproar in Friendsgiving gatherings, where people connect with their found family, typically due to wanting to celebrate with their friends and not facing tension from older family members. Nontraditional meals emerge when grandma isn’t hosting. A table where mac and cheese sits beside sushi rolls. Or gratitude lists shared in group chats or via group FT instead of around the dinner table. It’s become a more intentional act that blends a bit of normalcy and newness from each individual involved.
Whether you choose to celebrate with your family or friends, gratitude doesn’t erase grief; it sits beside it. For example, you can honor loved ones lost by cooking their favorite dishes. If you feel safe to talk about what’s on your mind, those who love you wouldn’t force you to pretend or perform– allowing vulnerability is resilience; whether through sharing a memory or lighting a candle before the meal.
Thanksgiving becomes less and less about consuming and more about grounding oneself in intentionality. Whether that’s expressing gratitude for the year we just survived, standing in solidarity for the global wars bleeding our world, or your own creativity.
Thanksgiving reimagined is not about perfection, but it is about presence. Imperfect gratitude means choosing thankfulness even as grief lingers. In 2025, young people remind us that honoring grief and gratitude aren’t polar opposites, but companions guiding us through times that feel and are very much uncertain.
By Journey Powell, Senior, Spelman College
Instagram: journeyaliah
Our Voice, Activated! is a call to action for all of us to stand with Chicago’s youth. When you invest in True Star, you are directly supporting young people in finding their voice, building their confidence, and learning how to use their creativity as a tool for impact and opportunity. Activate your voice by donating today.
