It wasn’t an easy road to fully be thankful for what I had. It wasn’t until I had spent some time in a homeless shelter. (not by choice) That’s when Thanksgiving became more real to me as a time to be thankful for what I had. It could be a whole lot worse.
In the past few weeks, I learned another meaning behind Thanksgiving. Sure, we are all taught that the first Thanksgiving was back in 1621 with Pilgrams and Native American sitting down for a feast.
Did you know it wasn’t until October 3, 1863, 242 years later Thanksgiving became a national holiday. Sure, parts of New England and certain states celebrated the day.
It was through the tireless efforts of Sara Joseph Hale that convinced President Abraham Linclon our nation needed a national holiday that would bring people of different attitudes and beliefs together to look for a common ground. So on October 3, 1863, Lincoln signed the proclamation making the last Thursday of November would be set aside as the day we know as Thanksgiving.
I am sure every one of you have sat at Thanksgiving meal with that obnoxious relative. You may still disagree with them, but after getting full on turkey and pumpkin pie you still see them as part of your family heritage.
I propose in our time when there seems so much division, we should look for what we have in common. We need to stop and look at what we do have in common.
We should take inspiration from history in our divisive time to have a Thanksgiving meal with someone who we usually don’t have a meal with and listen to the opposing side in a effort of mutual cooperation.
If you think I am all wet. Do a Google search for Sara Joseph Hale.
