Happy Thanksgiving!! It would only be right for us to stop and reflect about what we are most grateful for in our lives. I mean, that’s what this holiday is all about, right?
Amidst a day where we eat a big meal, see “long lost” relatives and maybe even catch a football game on T.V., I’m sure there are more than one of you whose family goes around the table to have each person mention what he or she is grateful for.
Yes, good ol’ Turkey Day, it truly is a day to pause and reflect. But for most of us, this year wasn’t the easiest. We have witnessed and been affected by natural disasters and national tragedies. We have watched and read the news and have seen international communities destroy one another over race and greed.
So with all this, it can be quite easy to overlook what we are thankful for, especially since most are too busy… We’re simply “getting by” and surviving. Sometimes the easiest things- like saying we are thankful for even just one thing- can be the hardest. To be honest, I can definitely relate, so please know you’re not alone. I challenge those of you who have been wrestling with the concept of being thankful to truly remember the history of this special holiday. This may give you a different mindset.
Before I get into the history of Thanksgiving, I’d like to preface this by saying that I am no historian, just a girl with the Internet and books as resources. To be honest, before doing my research about the first Thanksgiving, all I knew was that it had something to do with pilgrims and Native Americans sharing a meal together. I had no idea there was much more to the story. For the sake of time, here is the gist of what happened:
(Photo: iStockphoto/ Thinkstock)
The Pilgrims came to The New World in the 17th century. When they arrived here after their two-month journey from England, those who made it were weak and needed help surviving on this new land. Thankfully, for these English colonists, there was a native tribe called the Wampanoag who helped teach them the way of the land such as harvesting crops and hunting. Needless to say, the Wampanoag people helped the pilgrims to survive.
With the help of the Tribe, the Pilgrims produced their first successful crop harvest in the Fall of 1621. To celebrate this huge milestone, the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag held a large feast in gratitude for this success. We call this the First Thanksgiving. (Like I said, there is much, much more to this story. I truly encourage all of you to learn more about the history of Thanksgiving, it is very interesting!) Anyhow, even with this very short synopsis of what happened on that day in 1621, the moral of the story is clear.
Life was tough for the English colonists who settled in this new land. They endured persecution in their home country. They witnessed death of loved ones and other fellow passengers on the ship and agonized through hunger and other physical weaknesses upon arrival. The pilgrims had every reason to be pessimistic and I’m sure many were. They must have felt helpless and afraid.
And maybe it’s even safe to say from the Native American’s point of view that they may have also been worrisome. They must have felt fearful that these new settlers wanted to take over their land. Who knows, they could have had uncertainty about how they would be approached by these strangers. But regardless of what both parties were feeling or experienced, one thing is certain: They chose to put all that aside, go out on a limb and take the path of generosity and acceptance.
In a time of uncertainty and pain, the Wampanoag people chose to give of themselves, and the English colonists chose to receive. I’m sure it wasn’t all roses all the time, but this led to survival and friendship, which led to hope. And this hope, most of all, led to gratitude. And this gratitude led to a successful harvest, which led to a heartfelt meal that changed our country forever. It started a cycle of a holiday that Americans know as Thanksgiving.
This year, if you feel your hearts a little too broken to be merry or that life has been too harsh for you to be in a giving mood, let’s do ourselves a favor: Open your heart to give and open it even bigger to receive. You are still alive for a special purpose. This too shall pass, and in the meantime the best remedy is in two simple words: Thank You.
Open your eyes to the beauty all around you! Even if it’s for one thing, maybe even one small thing, be thankful for the air you breathe, your fingers and toes, your ability to hear nature all around you. Be thankful for your ability to receive an education, practice your faith freely, or that you have the freedom to change your life for the better…
Be grateful.
Whatever it may be, know that with gratitude comes the gift of hope, and to see the love God that has for us all around. May you all have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving.
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