MEANING OF MY THANKSGIVING

WE  know the traditional story the Puritans who sailed from England, and then from The Netherlands, in search of religious
freedom in America.  After landing at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620, the Puritans lost 46 of their original 102 who sailed
on the Mayflower.  Although they did have a 3-day feast in celebration of a good harvest, and the local natives did participate,
this "first thanksgiving" was not a holiday, simply a gathering.  There is little evidence that this feast of thanks led directly to our
modern Thanksgiving Day holiday.  It is notable that in 1676 the thanksgiving celebration probably did not include Native
Americans, as the celebration was meant partly to be in recognition of the colonists' recent victory over the "heathen natives".  
By then, it had become apparent to the settlers that the natives were a hindrance to their quest for more land, so the good will
they shared at the first feast had long been lost.  

In 1863 President Lincoln became the first president to proclaim Thanksgiving Day after being hounded by Sarah Josepha Hale,
a magazine editor, who dogged governors and presidents to make this an official holiday.

The holiday has been a fixture of late November ever since 1863, although we have even managed to argue about when it was
to be celebrated!


MANY Americans think of Thanksgiving as a wonderful time to celebrate getting out of school for a long weekend and
eating a great dinner. Or, maybe they think it is the start of the Christmas holiday season. President Franklin D. Roosevelt
thought it was a great time for shopping and so he moved the date back a week to have more time to spend shopping.   Many of
us believe it is a time to spend at home with family deepening relationships while yet others believe it is a great time to get away
skiing, hunting or in the tropics.

WHAT it means to me is to set aside time to meditate on the State of My Life:  

  • Do I appreciate the many ways in which I have been just lucky?  (Being born in the United States in the 20th Century for
    instance; or having parents who valued education for girls.

  • Contemplating what might be some of my regrets if I don’t act now?

  • Do I show my appreciation for my partner, my children, my brothers and sisters, my friends?

  • Am I actually living the way I want to live?  If not, what changes will I make today?

  • Does my everyday life reflect my ”thankful” values?
  • Do I behave respectfully to others?
  • Have I stayed in touch with those I cherish?  
  • Have I made amends to anyone I have wronged?  

Of course for me it is all about family and friends.  We gather, we cook, we eat, we laugh, and we play games, all to the
backdrop of whatever football game happens to be on.   A simple and genuine cementing of relationships formed over a lifetime.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, ROSANNE