This wasn't on my list of things to post about. But now that the election results are in, and I'm sad it didn't go my way, this is what I want to say.

"To Live" is something I'm grateful for. But it's also the title of one of my favorite films.

"To Live" was created by the great Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou. It follows the story of a family over a few decades during the Chinese Civil War and Cultural Revolution. It's amazing. But the Chinese government wasn't happy with it and as a result Zhang Yimou, China's greatest filmmaker, was banned from making movies for 2 years. He was also not allowed to travel or speak about the film. Same with his wife, who starred in the film. It was denied a theatrical release in mainland China. But it is one of the most beautiful movies I have ever seen.

It's my favorite film about politics, mostly because it's not about politics. It's about how despite our politics we all want the same thing: to live. We want to live peaceful lives. We want to enjoy our family. We want to be healthy. We want to pursue our dreams. We want to eat Chinese food. And (spoiler alert) sometimes we want to pour a bowl of extra spicy, hot Chinese food over someone's head.

I'm thankful to live in the United States and also to have lived in other countries. But mostly I'm just thankful to live.

I'm also thankful that my cat has not yet been eaten by immigrants. He will get his own light-hearted gratitude post. But not today.

Trailer: