Dear friends and colleagues across the U-M family and community, I’d like to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving! 

Since that first harvest celebration more than 400 years ago, it has been a day of gratitude, of connection, and of reflection. Gratitude is so important. It is good for us in so many different ways, and even more, it is a voice with which we speak to one another, thankful to be part of a world-class university, a caring family, and a vibrant and growing community. 

We have so much for which to be thankful. 

Yet Thanksgiving is about more than gratitude, it is about connection – sitting down with family and friends, and inviting others to join so we can share with one another. It is worth remembering that the table does not end where the stuffing stops – rather, the spirit of Thanksgiving is about reaching out, reconnecting with old friends and far away loved ones. It is also about setting aside issues that may divide, and coming together in a shared moment of gratitude, humility and grace. 

In this moment, on this day and through this holiday weekend, let us also take time to reflect. Let us remember not simply what we have, but who we are, and all that we can aspire to be. Let us join together again – learning, serving and leading – a grateful Wolverine nation, and a shared and cherished community.  

Sincerely,

Santa J. Ono
President