Thanksgiving. This day, this time of year means something new to me every year. For many years it was just about the fun, the family togetherness, the food, and the football that would be blaring in the other room. As I grew older it also came to be about the tradition of cooking and eating things that we only get to have once or twice a year. Of course one must eat too much in order to fully appreciate this part of the day.
In this country we nearly always have enough to eat which is likely why we need to eat too much to appreciate Thanksgiving. Although I have had the knowledge that there are many places in this world where this is not true, and that there are a few extreemly poor in this country who do not always have enough, that knowledge never truly entered my mind and my heart until this year. This fact has always seemed like something that took place on a distant planet not something that could happen in another country on this world.
Americans are so isolated in our ideals, our families, and our stile of life that we forget that poverty, devistation, and hunger does take place. This week countless tornados swept through the country. At least 35 people have died more than 200 people were injured and hundreds, if not thousands have lost everything that they own. We forget that this is not just a movie, show on T.V., or historical documentary; it is something that is still present in the world today. So even if one is having trouble making a car payment, can't afford that new computer that is wanted, or just doesn't have enough to get all the things that one wants or thinks is needed, before being at all upset stop and think about the people that can't afford to buy their family a loaf of bread.
This Thanksgiving before falling off to sleep after eating too much turkey take a minute to be thankful for that full belly and for the month worth of leftovers that no one can ever easily find room for in the fridge. Remember the ones that can't have this.
Missions all around the country are now collecting donations to help give those in America who cannot afford the Thanksgiving meal a good second. I am sure that the local Red Cross could use some help in bring relief to the victims of this week's torandos, both with cash donations and volunteers. Most Missions and Salvation Armies serve some sort of Thanksgiving dinner, if you have a few extra dollars to spare I am sure that they would appreciate it. They will also need help to serve so many people so if you can give an hour or more please look the number up in the phone book and see if they could use some help. If you would like to help on an international scale with donations or time contact either your church leader, a local red cross, Amenesty International or one of the many other wonderful programs. I am sure that they can direct you to someone that needs your help.
The following was written in 2001 shortly after the attacks on the World Trade Center. As I read it again this year, 2002, it still touched my heart so I am going to leave it up. I hope it will touch another heart.
Hello and welcome to my little pages. I
wanted to do something special for Thanksgiving. I don't know what
Thanksgiving means to anyone else but it is something special to me. I
love the food and the family and the smells and the sounds, just
everything.
I would like to share with you a Thanksgiving prayer that was sent to me by someone dear to my heart.
Dear Lord, Bless the Ones that give Thanks in
your name.. Bless the Lonely of heart that they
may see your Love, Bless your Daughters and
Sons, that they may live in Harmony...
Bless the Hearts that live in pain give them
comfort in the night.
Bless the Children Lord, Help us to guide their
Hearts...
Bless the People that need understanding..
Bless the Hearts that can not forgive human
faults.. Bless the Hearts Lord one and all!
We Thank You Lord for the Gifts of Spirit
you give us.. We are Thankful for our Gift
of daily life.. And for the bounty you have
bestowed on thee. We ask for Blessings
to the Men and Woman Striving for World
Peace! May we see Peace Lord among all
your People...
Amen
Lady Lisa
Thanksgiving brings back lots of special memories to me. These are memories with family that I never would have had if not for this special day. For those that live in other parts of the world I wonder what they think of our Thanksgiving. I sometimes think it strange myself that us as a country that has so much spends one day every year feasting on more then ever. I hope that we are all truly thankful for all that we have. Now I know it isn't just about the food after all there is the football...no wait its more than that too. We seem to get farther away from the traditional family togetherness; the spending time with our parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles; all the time. Thanksgiving gives us a reason to come together to bring back some of that and to keep a link to our family.
This year I feel that this day has more meaning than many other years. We have had to face so much as a Nation the last several months that we have never had to deal with in the past. We need to be thankful for every member of our family even the ones we are not that fond of. We need to be thankful that we still have our freedom and pray that we will not lose any of those freedoms. I for one would not want to live in a country where I did not have freedom of speech. Where I did not have the right to say to my friends that I did not agree with something the government had done without the fear of being jailed or executed. Be it changing taxes, fighting a country or not fighting a country I have the right to say that I don't agree with the act or the method. I don't think that anyone in this country can say that they were totally untouched or unaffected by the violent acts that we have seen this year. Even if we didn't know a single person that was killed or injured we were affected because we all know that it could easily have been a family member, a friend or ourselves. So as you prepare your feast and sit down with your family this year take a moment to be thankful that we are still here, that it was no worse than it was, and to remember the lost and those that gave their lives to try and save just one more life.
