We’re all trying to make sense of what we experience in this world. Writers just do so with a compulsion to create resolution. The only bad part is that resolution is like a cigarette; the good feeling lasts 15 seconds before you’re on the hunt for a new pack.
Over 25 years of professional writing I’ve told many stories, often many times. Each telling is placed in a particular context, a theme to unite details in support of an idea. My favorite themes include the following:
Build something.
Accept change.
Love one another
Be grateful.
I hope my longtime readers forgive me retelling certain stories, such as the ones I share today in my first Thanksgiving column (gift link) for the Minnesota Star Tribune. The stories have appeared in some of my past writing, but are told in a new way.
In this version, I travel back through generations of grumpy old men to find a core truth: our greatest acts are often our kindest acts. I know this because when I list what I am thankful for, the kindness of others always tops the list.
Read “Bitterness dies, but gratitude lasts generations,” in the Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025 edition of the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Aaron J. Brown is a columnist and member of the editorial board for the Minnesota Star Tribune. His new book about Hibbing Mayor Victor Power and his momentous fight against the world’s largest corporation will be out soon.
