Ten minutes to write. Less time to read.

I have a lot to be thankful for. My joys are not the same as those hardy first Pilgrims, but they are as equally life affirming.

As I remember the story, Indians helped their new neighbors survive the harsh, November weather by showing them the local agriculture, by participating in a celebration of the harvest. Quite possibly, they showed how to dry and preserve foods for the coming winter.

My family doesn’t live on the same basic level. Our idea of a harvest is to visit the local supermarket the day before we gather. One of us also visits the local winery too.

But the concept of taking time from a busy schedule to give thanks for what we have, for acknowledging that if we don’t work together now we’ll have less next year, is still paramount. So whether you are alone and celebrating in a modest fashion or whether you are among family and friends and taking from a table well laden, let the day hold the same resonance.

Today we give thanks for what we have, or possibly for what we had, and maybe for what we hope to have in the future. As Tiny Tim said about another holiday, “God bless us one and all.”