Thanksgiving

Colonial Williamsburg, VA

It's that time of year. The holidays are fast approaching. Neighbors on our street have put a giant blow up turkey in their yard. Family members of mine are putting up Christmas trees. I hate to join the ever increasingly popular argument, but I'm going to go ahead anyway: Shouldn't we wait until after Thanksgiving to decorate for Christmas? I imagine those in favor simply can't contain their excitement while the rest of us are saying, "Slow down!".


I feel like Thanksgiving has lost its significance. By association, most people think of it as the day before Black Friday. Thanks to the school district here in South Florida, I have the week off. I'm thankful that I've been given more of an opportunity to reflect than most working moms I know. This year, I'm imagining myself on the Mayflower on a journey to a new land.


Referring to the harvest that day in 1623, William Bradford of Plymouth Plantation wrote:


"And afterwards the Lord sent them such seasonable showers with interchange of fair warm weather as, through His blessing, caused a fruitful and liberal harvest, to their no small comfort and rejoicing. For which mercy, in time convenient, they also set apart a day of Thanksgiving.... By this time harvest was come, and instead of famine God gave them plenty.. for which they blessed God. And the effect of their particular planting was well seen, for all had... pretty well... so as any general want or famine had not been amongst them to this day. "


Thank you, God, for your blessings of plenty.