THANKSGIVING

   My country, ‘tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing; Land where my fathers died Land of the pilgrims pride”.  Every morning, from Kindergarten through fourth grade, I sang this song with all of the gusto of childhood.  It always followed the Pledge of Allegiance. It caused me to think, even at an early age, about the Pilgrims on a regular basis.

   Now, so many years later as an adult, I confess that I rarely think of those first settlers. But I always do on Thanksgiving. 

   Thanksgiving at my house is a race to get the turkey on the table, hot, along with all of the other items that also must be served hot. It’s a busy holiday for those in the kitchen.   To bring things back into perspective, about fifteen years ago, I started putting twelve cornels of corn on every plate. When family and friends are gathered at last, the story of the Pilgrims is told.

    In 1620 they set off on the Mayflower. They came to this new land for religious freedom, and opportunity to create a better life. The journey across the ocean was difficult. Their ship almost broke apart, tossed upon treacherous waters. When they finally arrived on the sand dunes of Cape Cod, their troubles were far from over.  Half of the Pilgrims died that first winter, more women than men; they froze, and starved to death. That brings me back to the cornels of corn our plates this afternoon.  Legend has it, that at one point, the Pilgrims were rationed to twelve pieces of corn a day. Still, despite incredible personal loss, and abject poverty, this group found reason to give thanks. So, before we eat our turkey, yams, stuffing, salads, etc. each guest shares twelve things they are thankful for. It was a tradition initially met with resistance, but oddly, now is one looked forward to. It ends in tears of gratitude for most.

I am thankful this Thanksgiving for Thanksgiving itself.  I am hopeful that the continual encroachment of Christmas marketing will not diminish the celebration this holiday.  We owe a debt of gratitude to those first Pilgrims. They showed courage, persistence (when offered a ride back to England on the Mayflower, not one accepted) and above all, they showed gratitude. They laid the foundation for the nation that we enjoy today. “Let freedom ring.”