My first Thanksgiving in the US as an immigrant ... Proof that there is still kindness in the world!

Hello!  I am Dihessa, and I have been living in the United States for about 28 years now, so by now, Thanksgiving is pretty much a tradition that is part of my life. 

But,  the  year that I landed here, my first Thanksgiving in the United States from Togo - West Africa, I knew absolutely nothing about this holiday. 

I  had no idea how special it was to most Americans, and how  for many,  it was a rare opportunity for them to gather with their loved ones, their family members... how so many cherish this holiday ( and as I found out later down the road,  many also dread this time lol ) 

I digress. lol .  So it was my very first year in the United States and by that time,  I had been here for about 4 months.... 

My parents, my siblings,  my whole entire family was still in Togo, and the only other person I knew and was familiar with at that time was my then boyfriend / now husband ( whose family was also back in Togo ) . 

Now at the same time,  in preparation for taking Computer Information System college courses, I  was taking some English classes at Howard University - Continuing Education  where I met one of the fiercest human beings I have ever met in my life. 

Fanta  is her name! 

She was from West Africa like me ( She was from Guinea ) . 

She was from Muslim faith, married to a Jewish gentleman .... such a beautiful blend! 

She too, was studying English like me, but she had been in the US longer than I was, and was very familiar with Thanksgiving. 

A few days before Thanksgiving that year, she  told me she had asked her mother-in-law, who was hosting their holiday meal, if I could join them for this celebration. 

I went with my  then boyfriend / now husband lol . 

We ate, we laughed, learned about each other.... 

Her mother-in-law, her husband, and all his  siblings welcomed us as if we had always been part of their family .

This touched me so deeply that day... 

Now that I think about it, it is probably why for years,  after we had our own home in the DC area, we ourselves hosted Thanksgiving dinners every year, and welcomed anyone who wanted to be part of it. 

Today, I fondly remember my friend, that very first Thanksgiving day...  and those who opened their hearts and home to a stranger, teaching her something very valuable:  there is still plenty of kindness in the world. 

And to you reading this note today, I am so grateful to you for being here. 

And if you are celebrating today, I wish you the warmest day, whether you are  with loved ones or simply with you. 

Sending a ton of love, 

Dihessa 

P.S.  Next Thursday, Dec 4th, I am hosting an EPIC masterclass  where I am sharing how I  went from a shy immigrant, insecure about her English and her accent, not believing anyone would pay $500 for her offers to earning $50k cash in a month .   I am pumped to share all of it with you in CALIBRATION free masterclass with you, and you can sign up for it here:  www.dihessa.com/Calibration