Countries like their myths, and the myth of the First Thanksgiving as I learned it in elementary school painted a beautiful picture as a background for this yearly holiday. It went something like this:
The Pilgrims, escaping religious persecution, bravely sailed across a fierce ocean on the little Mayflower, landing at Plymouth Rock and though they faced hardships, they persevered, and held a feast with all the Pilgrims, plus their new Indian pals who had taught them to bury fish in their fields as fertilizer.
They got the name of the boat right, at least!
But let’s not dwell on historical inaccuracies – any story 400 or so years old will get garbled along the way, by accident, or to suit the purposes of those telling the story.
Instead, consider the absolute purity of holding a feast to celebrate family friends, the harvest, and give thanks for the good things we can enjoy. Some folks cups runneth over more than others, to be sure, but there’s always something to be thankful for and it’s enriching and satisfying to recognize that.
I know some folks dread Thanksgiving (and the holidays in general) because of intra-family strife. Now, I know there are things a family member might do that can never be overlooked or forgiven, but more often I hear of petty grievances and grudges that have persisted over the years. So, if your family is estranged because of some past conflict, please consider mending those metaphorical fences, even if you’re right and they’re wrong. Family is too precious to be broken up – you owe it to everyone to try and rise above the fray. Even if you extend an olive branch and it’s slapped away – some form of healing is taking place.
I’m very lucky in that our family has no ongoing grudges or disagreements, and I am thankful for that!
If Thanksgiving is a family time, it’s also a gathering time with other people, so if you know someone whose family is out of the area (or who doesn’t have a family), and you have room at your table – please invite them to join your feast, and share your love and laughter.
When my mom was a little girl, her dad used to drive to the bus station in San Francisco and offer anyone who seem stranded to join their family for Thanksgiving, and we have continued that tradition to some degree. Once we’d made up our list of family members we’re expecting, we begin asking friends and acquaintances what their Thanksgiving plans are, and if they don’t have any (or if their plans included a hot plate or Denny’s) then we invite them to our house, and the resulting mixture of people always results in a lively time.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone – have a feast, pick a tune and sing some songs!
