The reactions to President Obama’s election, the recession, the debates on health care and global warming, have all brought out the worst in people. What has been laid bare is a shocking lack of compassion and empathy for the suffering of others. Our selfishness and greed have been exposed, and we revel in a sense of unprecedented entitlement, especially at the expense of others. Bald-faced lying and red-faced screaming have become the basis for debate. Racism, ignorance and unfounded fear of the “other” are trumpeted, as if these are qualities of which to be proud.

The mood that surrounds me has plunged me into depression. I have been battling my loss of hope, that this country — or even this species — will survive our own fear, anger, greed and short-sightedness.

So on this Thanksgiving, I must remind myself that I have to put into the world what I want to get out of it. If I value compassion, I must show compassion in all my actions. If I want to feel respect, I must behave respectfully. And if I want to feel joy, I must give joy to the world first.

Even if we are all doomed, and there is nothing I can do about that, there is still one small thing that I can do. I can do everything I can to make this world a better place. Because that is what I want for myself and for the people I love — for all people, really — a better place to live our short lives.

I hope that if anyone is reading this, the next time you find yourself reacting with anger and outrage and fear, that you will stop, take a moment, breathe. And remember: what you put into this world is what the world gives back to you.

Finally, I am linking to this even though I am sure you have seen it already, simply because it made me happy.

My mom started this tradition some years ago because she didn’t live nearby and was missing out on the holidays. Splitting up holidays between divorced parents and in-laws can be a logistics nightmare. She started bringing us all together on Thanksgiving weekend to allow us to keep Thanksgiving itself open to spend with other family members, as well as give her some quality time with her kids that she might not otherwise get over the holiday season.

Now the Thanksgiving weekend trip to the mountains has become a tradition in its own right, one that we all value. For me, it is a relaxing, fun start to the holiday stressfest, and it is also a rare opportunity to spend a lot of time with family I don’t get to see as often. Family traditions rarely are deliberately crafted. More often, they evolve into a cherished tradition.

When I focus on trying to please everyone over the holidays, they become a source of stress and anxiety for me, and I forget to enjoy myself. There are so many family members to please, all these long-standing traditions to uphold and such complicated logistics to juggle that we can come out of the holidays more exhausted than we started. We lose sight of the point of it all: to stop for a moment and feel thankful for all that we have in our lives. It’s important to remember to adapt as our families change and grow, to realize that there is room for traditions to change, grow and adapt as well.