My professor on Tuesday morning, reminded me of an important thing to remember as we celebrate Thanksgiving: this is a Day of Mourning for the United American Indians of New England. The story we know of Thanksgiving involved Pilgrims being able to survive their first winter with the help of Native Americans, culminating in a bountiful feast. Yet, this thankfulness was short-lived as subsequent centuries reveal atrocities, even genocide, against the Native Americans. Unaware of this part of history? Here is an example, a video about what happened to the Lakota Tribe by a photographer who documented their struggles and talked about their issues of oppression and the history of Native Americans in this country.
I do not share this to diminish the importance that Thanksgiving has come to mean to many people in this nation. It is important to spend time with loved ones; to stop and think of what we can be thankful for in our lives. This is something that should even be done more often than once a year. However, as we remember our own blessings, we should also be aware at what the price some of it had to come.
On this, the day after Thanksgiving, I am sufficiently fed and contently relaxed enough to list some of what I am grateful for:
* family - God has blessed me with one of the most loving people on earth who I know will always be there to be there to guide, support, encourage and help me through whatever comes my way in life.
* friends - You make life worth living with music, laughter, hugs, craziness and other adventures we find ourselves in.
* a home, food, clothes - I never want for anything and I never forget to be thankful for this.
* my health - It is a blessing to have eyes to see the beauty of God’s creation, ears to hear the beautiful music of life, hands to touch the world around me,feet to take me where I can serve and a heart that beats and loves every day.
* my talents - Without these, I am but a lifeless human shell. But I have been made with a purpose and I am thankful for these gifts and hope that I am using them for the betterment of this world while I am alive.
* the chance to traverse this amazingly large and exotic world, the openness of mind to find beauty in everything, being able to attend school and having a great internship to hone my skills, and so much more than I can even write as well as fathom at this point…
As we continue into this holiday season, remember what we’ve been thankful for… it’s always a good way to start a New Year.
