As a child, I can remember learning about Thanksgiving in school. We were taught that we celebrated Thanksgiving to commemorate the arrival of the Pilgrims on the Mayflower. Thanksgiving eventually became associated with giving thanks for the harvests of the land. Since the Pilgrims where not natives, their first year of harvest was awful. The next year, the Native Americans helped the Pilgrims and their harvest was a tremendous success, so they gave thanks. The message of helping those in need came through loud and clear.
Flash-forward to today’s turbulent economic times, many people are worried about their homes and their jobs. We hear from economists daily that there is no relief in sight, at least for the next 18 months. Our President-elect has recently said that it is possible that it gets worse before it gets any better. The time allowed to collect unemployment benefits has been lengthened and the federal government is still bailing out big banks, all in an effort to help keep our collective heads above water. I don’t recall living through a recession; perhaps I was still too young at the time. Now is a good time to sit around with our families and give thanks for everything we do have. An attitude of thankfulness puts us in a humble frame of mind. It teaches us to who we are in debt for all that we have, material or otherwise and it focuses us all on the vital importance that friends and family play in our lives. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!