Giving Thanks

Goodies from a Thanksgiving past

If it weren't for those mighty strong early British settlers and the Native Americans who helped them survive that first winter, we wouldn't have this glorious holiday.  My ancestors came to this country from England and Ireland not long after the original flock of Pilgrims, so I have always had a soft spot in my heart for this day.  My relatives lived and died for this country and the promise it brought.  I am thankful to them for their strength and tenacity.

It is difficult to imagine life back then and the perils they encountered.  We have become so comfortable in our wealth and common comforts, that it would be unconscionable to think of sleeping outside in the elements or afraid of closing our eyes at night for fear of an attack from a band of foreign peoples.  How long would we last if we had to hunt down our food - or grow it from seed...all of it?   What if we had to build our homes just from things we could find growing around us? How would we stay warm when the temperatures dipped towards freezing or below?

I think of the women of that time and I can't help but be in awe of them.  We women have more on our plates than men when it comes to "adventuring".  I can not imagine being pregnant and giving birth at that time in our nation's history.  How many women on those original ships were pregnant?  How many women survived and gave birth to healthy children?  That actually seems like a miracle when you consider how the odds were stacked against them.

Yes, this nation was founded on strength, tenacity, sheer will, and faith.  Faith was the glue that bound those early settlers.  Their prayers during that first winter were heard and they prayed in thanksgiving over that large meal they shared with their Native American friends.

This Thanksgiving, my family and I will pray and thank God for all of the blessings He has bestowed upon us.  I can't imagine being any richer.  I am thankful for so many things this year: the Church, my husband, my children, our health, our home, our friends, and our extended family.  I am also thankful for all of you who stop by to take a peak at this blog.  This has really been a blessing in my life to be able to finally put all of my sometimes incongruent thoughts "down on paper".  My husband has been telling me for twenty years to write, so this is my start.  I have really been enjoying maintaining this blog, as well as getting to see the numbers of people who read it and the countries from which they hail.  I wish all of you a blessed Thanksgiving filled with love, health, and full bellies.  May God bless each and every one of you!