We all have so very much to be thankful for. Two events this past week were powerful reminders of that for me. First, our Hawaiian “mom,” Helena, died this past week. She was 74 and definitely the “glue” of her big family. The family of a co-worker at Stanford “adopted” me and my husband for holidays and family events – just because. I’ve never experienced such incredible warmth and unconditional acceptance. Nor have I seen another couple – regardless of their age – so “in love”. To give you a little glimpse of this incredible family, we stayed in their home alone for two days before we had even met them yet. Their daughter gave us a key and told us to make ourselves at home. On another visit to their home, we arrived at 10:30 at night, only to be greeted by a four-course meal waiting for us. Their love, grace and hospitality has a lot to do with the fact that they were born and raised in Hawaii. But it also is largely based in their faith – undying faith in God, and faith in the innate goodness of people. Thanksgiving was always our “special” holiday with Helena and her family. No one ever left their home hungry for food, love or attention. In spite of the miles and time separating us, there is an incredible bond with everyone in her large family – and even their friends. The second momentous event of this past week was the political coup in the Republic of Georgia. On Nov. 2, parliamentary elections were held; in spite of international observers including the United States, the elections were a farce. Since then thousands of opponents to President Eduard Shevardnadze gathered every day calling for an end to the rampant corruption of his rule. Saturday, Nov. 22, Shevardnadze called a surprise meeting of the newly elected parliament in order to swear them in and declare them official. As he began to speak, opponents swooped in and Shevardnadze was whisked away. The next 24 hours were restless for us as we waited for any bits of information on CNN and the Internet. Our family friend is a member of the old parliament, and he was in the parliament when the bloodless coup took place. (He simply went home afterward, by the way.) The outcome of what they call a “revolution of roses” could not have been better for Georgia and Georgians. Shevardnadze resigned. He has been guaranteed safety and most likely will not face criminal charges for all the things he and his “clan” did that destroyed Georgia. Elections will be held in early January for a new, democratic and anti-corruption president and parliament. Once the wealthiest republic in the Soviet Union, Georgia is now the poorest. More than 20 percent of its population has left Georgia in the past 5-10 years and, in the words of our parliamentarian friend, all that’s left is pensioners and prostitutes. Now business can resume without outlandish bribes and restrictions. Unemployment has “officially” been 70-80 percent for years; people can now get back to work and help fulfill the potential of Georgia. Why should Americans care what happens 11 time zones away? For one thing there are dozens of U.S. troops there now, training Georgians to fight terrorism (especially the Al Quaida hiding in the north of Georgia). For another, an international oil pipeline is being built through Georgia that will relieve our dependence on Middle East oil. Also, before the situation in Iraq, Georgia received billions of dollars in U.S. aid, grants and loans – second only to Israel. (Much of this money was pilfered by Shevardnadze and his “clan”, and never reached the people for whom it was intended.) So, please, rejoice with us that Shevardnadze is history. You can be thankful every minute that you live in a country with (reasonably) valid elections, politicians we can hold accountable, freedom to voice opinions and opposition without fear of “disappearing”, freedom to work to better our families, and a press free of governmental controls and censorship. And while we’re at it, for Helena’s sake, enjoy your families at every opportunity this holiday season and beyond. We take far too much for granted.
