By the end of November when retailers stomach's are starting to growl wondering how full they're going to get for Christmas, it seems that the 'Christmas season' has now fully engulfed Thanksgiving. It reminds me of some of the night time satellite views of the east coast of the US when the lights from Boston all the way down to DC started to blend into one long huge mass called Bos-New-Wash.
What's important to note, though, is that no matter what commercial event the 'shopping season' keeps morphing into that has nothing to do with the Christian birth, Thanksgiving has remained an island of turkey, friends and family and nothing else. No money changes hands except to put on the feast and share thanks - and that includes those who donate time, money and food for the many who would otherwise go without.
It's also worth noting because of the town I live in (and Andy would give me grief if I didn't) that Sarah Josepha Hale - I spoke of her in my blog "Sarah Josepha Who?" a couple of weeks ago - who comes from Newport, was instrumental in getting President Lincoln to declare Thanksgiving a national holiday.
So before we break bread I give thanks to our health, our good fortune, to those who can't be home, and those who serve our country, to those who came before us, and the love we share with family and friends. We are blessed to be living in such fortunate times as we strive to make a better life for everyone.
Amen.
