Originally, Thanksgiving honored the friendship between the early settlers and the indigenous Indians who helped them survive those first harsh winters in America. It was a time to break bread together and give thanks for food and friends.
Times have changed. And yet, they haven’t.
Indigenous peoples struggle as they might have back then. Americans struggle too. In the wake of hurricanes and wars and faltering economies, most likely there will be many this Thanksgiving who are thankful merely for some shelter where they can get a hearty meal.
I am not among them. Instead, I am blessed with a cornucopia of abundance. Oh, I may grumble about the fact that my bathroom remodeling project is taking too long. And that I had to travel on the busiest day of the year. But in the grand scheme of things, I am thankful that I can afford to remodel my bathrooms and take a trip to visit my family.
I’m thankful for other things too. My sons, both grown, seem to be in good places, something that hasn’t always been the case. My partner, Earl, and I get along better and better with each passing year. The fall was not as beautiful as usual, but it certainly lingered longer. Maybe an easy winter is in sight. I have my health, my friends, my writing, my plans for the future. For all of this I’m thankful, not only on Thanksgiving but also every day of the year.
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