Sunday, October 30, 2011

The Promise of Thanksgiving

Halloween will soon disappear and we will look toward Thanksgiving, the ultimate family gathering. As a Mayflower descendent I am both proud to be connected to two different Pilgrims and embarrassed by what the second generation did to the Native Americans who celebrated the harvest and helped them survive

That's how it goes in American history. We are a great nation, yet we have to overlook the racism that was such a part of it in order to feel good about who we are. However, Thanksgiving celebrates our togetherness. Grown up children return to the nest and for once the core family is gathered around the table.

We can celebrate the fact that we're a free country that has a generous tradition of philanthropy for those wiped out by tsunamis and hurricanes. We can put aside our political differences for a day and reach out to others who don't share our views. We can also vow to be better Americans and deal honestly with our problems.  We were a nation that grew by sacrifice from the revolution to today as we are pulling out of Iraq. Sacrifice will save this country, once again, if we are all determined to share it. We became great, not through isolation from others, but by sharing a dream that can continue to be true if we all join hands.

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