Celebrating Thanksgiving this year may be a stretch for our nation. The daily news is filled with recriminations, threats, and violence, with Charlie Kirk’s assassination marking the nadir of the hatred that has infected some Americans. The subsequent political and cultural fractures across our country make it hard to come together, even on so traditional a holiday.
Perhaps remembering some ghosts of Thanksgivings past might lend some perspective. At America’s First Thanksgiving in 1621, for instance, only 53 colonists remained alive, half the number which landed at Plymouth a year earlier. In 1863, in the middle of a terrible civil war, Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation setting aside the last Thursday of November as “a day of Thanksgiving and Praise.” World War II brought gasoline and food rationing to the holiday, which limited travel and turkeys for the table, and found several million sons, fathers, and husbands either serving overseas or on faraway military bases.
In other words, Americans have never let adversity spoil this special holiday, and this year we can follow suit by bringing joy, unity, and gratitude to our own Thanksgiving Day feast. Here are some suggestions to help make that goal a reality.
Give Your Phone the Day Off
To my way of thinking, Thanksgiving has three main ingredients: food, fellowship, and gratitude. The image of a family seated together over this special meal with each scrolling silently through their phones is a Dantean version of 21st century hell. Turn the phone off. If necessary, bury it in the deepest recesses of your bedroom closet.
If your fingers start twitching uncontrollably during the meal, or if you’re thinking of your phone while Aunt Betsy tells of her close encounter with death last week at the hands of a mugger, it may be time to seek out a 12-step program.
Zip the Lip
Leave the donkeys and elephants outside. In other words, no Republicans, no Democrats, no politics at the table.
And no untoward or negative comments either. Your niece, who has put on a few pounds while away at college, doesn’t need to hear: “Wow! That’s your third helping of mashed potatoes. They must be starving you in that place.”
Take a few seconds and weigh your thoughts before turning them loose. As mothers everywhere used to say to the kids, “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”
Make the Meal an Occasion
Erma Bombeck once wrote, "Thanksgiving dinners take 18 hours to prepare. They are consumed in 12 minutes. Half-times take 12 minutes. This is not a coincidence."
Twelve minutes is nothing. I have grandkids who can sprint through a three-course supper in half that time. They’re not unusual; many Americans polish off a meal in five minutes flat. Not only is this rapid-fire ingestion unhealthy – you’ll eat less if you eat slowly – it’s insulting to the cook and precludes taking pleasure in the food and in one’s companions, a word derived, incidentally, from Latin meaning “with the bread.”
So, slow down. Take pleasure in the food. Converse with one another. The only gobbler at Thanksgiving should be the one sitting on a platter in the middle of the table.
Sincere Compliments Add Spice to the Meal
Lincoln’s proclamation called for “Thanksgiving and Praise.” The praise was intended for the Almighty, but we can extend that species of kindness to others as well.
Thank the hosts and chief cooks for all their efforts, but don’t stop there. If Aunt Jenny’s pecan pie knocked your socks off, tell her so, but don’t forget to praise your mother-in-law’s green bean casserole. Tell that college sophomore who’s on the dean’s list that she’s done herself proud. If that brother whose politics are an abomination to you has lost some weight, tell him he looks like a million bucks.
Remember the old “I’m Special” programs and stickers that popped up in everything from public schools to Scout troops? That ubiquitous slogan is thankfully behind us, but everyone can use a compliment. Adults in particular rarely garner praise. Here’s your chance to bring some small joy to others.
An Attitude of Gratitude Brings Beatitude
Beatitude derives from the Latin “beatus,” meaning blessed, happy, fortunate.
And gratitude is the greenhouse that grows beatitude no matter the season.
Thanksgiving is the one day of the year set aside for counting our blessings. It’s the one day of the year when we are called to pause and consider the good in our lives. If you’re finding yourself on the short end of the blessing stick, consider this: you’re alive, breathing, and part of the mystery of this planet and what it means to be human.
In his play “The Woman of Andros,” Thornton Wilder wrote, “We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasure.” Thanksgiving is the day for becoming conscious of our treasure and so living fully in the moment.
Jeff Minick is a father of four and grandfather to many. A former history, literature, and Latin teacher, Jeff now writes prolifically for The Epoch Times, American Essence Magazine, and several other publications.
This culture article was made possible by The Fred & Rheta Skelton Center for Cultural Renewal, a project of 1819 News. To comment on this article, please email [email protected]. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News.
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