The Meaning of Thanksgiving

In the United States, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. It has been long recognized as a day of celebration and prayer thanking God for his blessings on our country. The first Thanksgiving was in 1621, where the settlers of the Plymouth colony and the native Indians, gave thanks for the first harvest. The participants celebrated with a magnificent feast of turkey, deer, corn and berries. Thanksgiving became a national federal holiday in 1863 per an order from Abraham Lincoln proclaiming a national day of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving in the United States is traditionally celebrated with family and friends gathering for a Thanksgiving dinner featuring turkey. However, Thanksgiving is much more than just a family celebration. It is a time to give thanks to God and celebrate life.

Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for the blessings that we received throughout the year. It is a time to show your gratitude for the blessings in your life. One way we can do this is to serve others who are less fortunate than us with our time, thoughts, and prayers. The meaning of Thanksgiving, at least for me has changed as I have grown older. When I was young friends, family, and the gatherings seemed to be the meaning of the holiday. As I have grown older I have realized it is more about God and how to teach your children the importance of giving back to the less fortunate and their communities. I have learned this through my children over the past few years. One specific event was through my son's (Zachary) actions last year. My family donated time to a local church in the morning; we served food to the less fortunate and to individuals who were alone for the holiday. My wife and daughter helped prepare food, while my son Zachary worked in the food line scooping out mashed potatoes. He had a huge smile on his face the whole time. He talked to the people in the line, made a few people smile, and went table to table after everyone went through the food line to offer each person desert. I truly believe my family had a better time serving the community dinner, than when we went home and had our family thanksgiving dinner later that day. Serving the community that day and since has had a life-long positive impact on my family. This year for Thanksgiving, my family has signed up to assist in preparing and distributing food at the same church. So, for this Thanksgiving I have come up with a list of things that I am thankful for.

1. I am thankful for my family, they are my biggest fans and I am theirs.

2. I am thankful for my job. I believe it allows me to have a positive impact on individuals and their family's lives by helping them own a home.

3. I am thankful for the City and Country that I live in that allows me the freedom to work, raise my family, and pray to God.

4. I am thankful for mine and my family's health.

5. Finally, I am thankful for the achievements my friends and family have accomplished. Being able to celebrate with them has made it all worthwhile.