Happy Thanksgiving

This opinion piece appeared in the Townsman, November 27 edition

When I was a tad I remember finding out from a relative that her favorite holiday was Thanksgiving. Not Christmas? Not your birthday (I thought mine was a holiday until I was thirty or so)? No, she said, Thanksgiving. I had to know why. Because, she explained, it is a time when family gets together for no other purpose than to celebrate our good fortune and plentiful bounty.

It took me a while, but as I get brittle and slow and squinty and gray it becomes more apparent there is a lot to be said for a good, million course supper, even one where old aunt Tilly's turnip casserole makes its way to the table. But there must be more to Thanksgiving than good vittles.

How did this holiday get started? Well, like so many other things in our nation, it began with President George Washington, who in 1789 proclaimed:

"Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

"Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these 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. That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation, for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war, for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed, for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

"And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord. To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and Us, and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best."

It has been suggested that Washington got the idea from the Pilgrims. I don't know what their proclamation said, but no doubt it inspired some of Washington's sentiments. The Pilgrims narrowly escaped starvation; Washington narrowly escaped a British noose and the Nation narrowly escaped Taxation Without Representation. Certainly you noticed the religious nature of the Proclamation. Maybe Thanksgiving is meant to be a big Whew!

We live in a society where some worship an Almighty God, and others don't, where some support gay marriage and others don't, where some think Bush was a good president (okay, not many) and others don't, where some think Pete Rose deserves to be in the Hall of Fame and others don't. Each of these issues could tear a more fragile society apart; here we just shout and fuss and sue and petition and vote and then move on.

I'm really thankful for that. Have a great supper.