By Brenda Blackhawk
Have you ever heard the phrase, “You can’t appreciate the sunshine if you’ve never stood in the rain?” Several variations of the saying pop up when you look online for quotes of gratitude and thanksgiving. It regularly comes up in our times of grief and sorrow as well, when someone who cares is trying to remind us that everyone experiences hard times and things will get better.
I think I get the phrase. I mean, just imagine if the sun was always shining. My guess is, like anything that is always there, we would take it for granted. We’d probably even complain about it a little bit. We can appreciate the warmth of the sun so much more when we experience rainy days, and we should try to remember to be thankful for all the good times. 
“I think of all the people who are stuck in the rain, through no fault of their own. And of all the people who always have sunshine so that if the sun even drifts behind a cloud they feel like the world is ending.”
In a few days folks all across the U.S. will be giving thanks by spending time with loved ones, stuffing their faces and warming up leftovers for days. I will be engaging in Thanksgiving festivities when my spouse and I drive out to Chicago to visit with his family and eat at about six different relatives’ houses.
Over the years, many people have asked me if I, as a Native person, celebrate Thanksgiving. Sometimes I think people are disappointed when I say, “of course!” I’d probably be a more interesting person if I said that I protested the holiday, but honestly, I can’t think of a single Indigenous person in my acquaintance who doesn’t enjoy any excuse for fun and family and food (which doesn’t mean those folks don’t exist, FYI).
I GREW UP LEARNING the same version of the Thanksgiving story as most of you: The pilgrims were saved by the “noble savages” – who taught them how to live off the land – and they feasted together at the harvest. I also know that isn’t the true story and I hope and pray schools are doing a better job teaching the real history these days. (I’m not getting into the real history. Look it up if you’re interested. All you need to know is that, as usual, it didn’t go well for the Wampanoag when dealing with colonizers).
This is the part of “appreciating the sunshine…” that perturbs me. I think of all the people who are stuck in the rain, through no fault of their own. And of all the people who always have sunshine so that if the sun even drifts behind a cloud they feel like the world is ending. I know that grief is relative and that comparing sorrows doesn’t make anyone feel better. AND it really seems unfair that some people get all the rain and others get the sun. It’s been raining on Indigenous Americans since 1492.
“In a few days folks all across the U.S. will be giving thanks by spending time with loved ones, stuffing their faces and warming up leftovers for days.”
A few years ago, I attended a symposium where Mark Charles was the main speaker. He talked about the Doctrine of Discovery and the harms that the Christian Empire has wrought on the world. He also talked about the specific role the church should play in the righting of those wrongs. He lifted up a deep need for true lament before there can be reconciliation, … which, now that I think about it, is an invitation to go sit in the rain for a while.
All people should show gratitude and thanksgiving for their loved ones and communities, for all God and Mother Earth provide. And it’s not wrong to do that with food and celebration. We need to be grateful for those sunny moments. Just don’t forget that you’re also invited to go and sit in the rain too. Who knows? You may learn to appreciate the sun a little differently.