Every Thanksgiving morning, we tune in to the Macy’s Parade. Balloons float high above the city, bands march in perfect rhythm, and the tradition feels bigger than any one of us. But traditions are not neutral. They tell us who we are and who we leave out.

That reflection sits at the heart of Black Cloud Rises Thanksgiving, a moment to look beyond the floats and think about what our celebrations really mean. Thanksgiving, like the parade, is a story America tells itself. Gratitude, unity, celebration. And while those are worthy values, the truth is more complicated. For many, the day also carries the weight of loss, silence, and histories we are taught not to remember.

So the real question becomes: what are we celebrating, and what are we erasing?

Traditions, Truth, and the Spirit of Black Cloud Rises

Every tradition has two sides. On one side, the comfort of ritual. On the other, the danger of forgetting. We hold on to the parts that feel good and often ignore the parts that challenge us.

But ignoring does not erase. The past has a way of showing up, asking to be seen, asking to be heard. That is as true in our own lives as it is in our shared national story. That is what Black Cloud Rises Thanksgiving invites us to confront: truth, visibility, and the stories that live beneath the surface.

What Wakes Us Up

Thanksgiving can be an invitation, not just to eat or to gather, but to remember. To widen the story we tell so it includes the voices that were left out. To make space for the truths that have been pushed aside.

That is where awakening begins. Not in pretending, but in seeing.

Closing Thoughts

This Thanksgiving, let the parade be more than balloons and floats. Let it be a reminder that every celebration is also a choice about what we value, what we honor, and what we remember.

👉 Black Cloud Rises is a story born from that question. What happens when the unseen demand to be seen? What happens when the forgotten step into the light? Read the novel today and explore those questions for yourself. Available now on Amazon.