According to the history books, in 1621 the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag Indians shared a harvest feast. That meal has been acknowledged by most as one of the first Thanksgivings in the colonies. However, harvest celebrations and giving thanks in autumn for the bounty of the earth was a tradition long carried out by not only Native American groups and Europeans, but many other cultures around the world.
Giving thanks has been in vogue long before this country, or 1621, or Christianity. Who am I to mess with tradition? The fourth Thursday in the month of November is as good a day as any to give voice to things that I have been thankful for throughout the year.
- My loving family
- Our friends
- A job
- A roof over our heads
- Clothes on our backs
- Food in our bellies
I started a different list before the one above. One with flowery thank you messages. One with details of my life and experiences throughout the past year.
And then, I thought... why?
It's not that I'm not thankful. It's not that I didn't mean every single word. And then I came to a realization. What I'm really thankful for are the basics: family, friends, work, home, clothes, and food. Everything else I have or experience, no matter how wonderful, is gravy.
Because not everyone... not even in one of the most prosperous nations in the free world... has what I consider to be just the basics. Being able to check off all six items on that list above, I count myself a rich woman.
As I gather with our little family at the dinner table tomorrow, and we bow our heads, I'll be giving thanks for those simple things in life. Those simple things that I couldn't imagine living without.
No comments:
Post a Comment