Mel drew himself up. "Thanksgiving means a lot of things to a lot of people. To some, it is a day when you get to travel to see family that you normally don't get to see. To others it means a day of stuffing yourself with turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, and pies. And still yet to others it is a day to gather with loved ones and to give thanks for everything that we have in our lives, to give thanks for the many blessings each and every one of us have in our lives."
"Thanksgiving is a time to look at everything you have. Look at the home you live in, the family that you have around you, and the many friends that you have. It is a time to think about the billions of other humans across the world who have no Thanksgiving food to eat, who have no roof over their heads to protect them from the rain, and who have no family to comfort them in the cold, dark nights. Thanksgiving. Because we are the lucky ones, it is up to us to give back to the people who don't have as many advantages as we do. Do you realize that there are people that are standing out in the rain this very minute that are starving because they haven't eaten in days, or even weeks. Yet they're still giving thanks because they are alive. Thanksgiving is not just about turkey, about seeing Aunt Thelma Mae and Uncle Jeb. It's about being grateful for the advantages that we have, it is about learning to give back to a few of the many who don't and probably never will have as much as we do. Putting a smile on a little child's face is worth more than Bill Gates will ever have. Think about that when you're sitting down and saying grace over Thanksgiving dinner. Think about those children over in East Africa who don't have a Thanksgiving dinner to sit and say grace over. Remember them...and be appreciative. Remember them...and be grateful. Remember them...and be thankful. That, my friends, is what I believe Thanksgiving is about."
