The table was set with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes—and inflation. Everything cost more. Every conversation weighed more.
Families tried to keep the peace. Politics stayed buried under gravy, but it always found a way back, seeping through in stray remarks about gas prices or “that election.” Gratitude strained. Denial was piled as high as the yams.
Thanksgiving is supposed to be about unity. In 2022, it was about performance—acting as if the fractures weren’t there, even as they widened.