Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday.
I'm one of "those" people who fight against celebrating Christmas before Thanksgiving, much less Halloween. I herald the movement that delays the inevitable rush to colored lights, artificial decorations and frenzied on-line shopping.
As a holiday, Thanksgiving stands apart from the others. The Fourth of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day, President's Day and New Year's Day holidays pay homage to our past by recognizing people and events that have shaped our nation.
But only Thanksgiving celebrates gratitude.
Some may say it acknowledges our past by recognizing the day the pilgrims celebrated their first harvest in the New World in October 1621. But I couldn't name a pilgrim if my life depended on it. Instead it is a time to stop and remember to say thank you to life. We pause to remember the gifts we have received -- good health and fortune, of course. But also the everyday things that make our lives worth living.
For the first time in my life, celebrating such a simple things as living takes extra effort. During the pandemic, it has been difficult to see people we love and with whom we enjoy spending time. Our newspapers are full of people who put off their wedding, vacations and even funerals. And yet, in the words of Dennis Prager, I truly believe we are on this earth to not just live life, but to live life fully. That means being with family and friends. For birthdays, anniversaries, vacations and especially holidays. We take precautions, but in our core we are determined to laugh, cry and explore Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. This fall, we traveled to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. I give thanks to God for the people we met on our journeys and am humbled by the majesty and beauty of our national parks.
This year, our family has three additional events to celebrate.
One, we will celebrate the date of the first Thanksgiving --November 26 -- following George Washington's declaration in 1789 making it an official holiday. As he put it, "I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of the States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be."
It is also the 400th anniversary of the landing on Plymouth Rock and perhaps the beginning of those who helped build this country, who wanted it to be a "shining city on a hill."
Last, but not least, it is my birthday. As a child, I looked forward to birthday parties and presents. What kid doesn't remember the excitement of sitting around a small table with ten of their best friends wearing party hats and playing "pin the tail on the donkey?" During high school and college, it was an opportunity to legally pound a few beers, miss school or once, even attend a Genesis concert. Eventually, I lost the thrill of opening presents and wise enough to appreciate my birthday without a hangover. The focus of it being my birthday shifted to spending time with Liz, Sean and Matt. Eventually, it faded to a phone call from the boys and dinner with my wife. Don't misunderstand. I'm not disappointed. These days I prefer low-key recognitions to large celebrations.
But through all 62 years of celebrating, I was always grateful for the people who we part of my birthday. Even more important was the time between birthdays -- spent playing kick the can and ghost in the graveyard. Spent cheering on the Badger football team in Camp Randal. Spent in the hospital awaiting the births of Matt and Sean and eventually their graduation from college. Or spent traveling around the world with close friends. I am grateful for every day I wake up and for the people I call my friends.
Which brings me back to Thanksgiving.
For most of my life, Thanksgiving meant sitting around the table with mom and dad. I have many memories of Thanksgiving with them, but two are first in line. Always waiting for dad to return home after a day of deer hunting (either the car would pull up to the house with a deer on top of the car -- or not. And mom's mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. She would strain the cranberries to remove the skins of the berry, making it more like a thick jello. Sound horrible, I know, but I loved it.
Thank you mom and dad for giving me those memories and so many more through the years.
At times, I hear myself saying how grateful I am they are no longer on this earth to suffer through this pandemic. Both parents spent way too long in nursing homes, and our inability to see them due to COVID restrictions would have meant their demise as surely as the illnesses crippling their lives. An unusual thing to be grateful for, but one I truly believe.
Finally, I give thanks to God, who spoke to us so clearly in the early days of Thanksgiving. The Pilgrims travelled to this continent to escape religious persecution and celebrated the first Thanksgiving by thanking him. They believed religious freedom and liberty were worth dying for. Their covenant with God and man in 1620 would eventually shape America's Constitution and entire government. The seeds of our liberty -- and the idea of self-government and rule -- come directly from God and the pilgrim's relationship with him.
So be grateful on this Thanksgiving. Whatever it may be, it is worth remembering today with your family, and friends. Love them and keep them close. And say a prayer for those who are suffering or alone, so they can join us next year when we celebrate the 401st year of "giving thanks."
