Published: November 25, 2009 09:18 pm      

Today is a day to count our blessings

Though the Pilgrims shared a feast with the Wampanoag Indians at Plymouth Rock in 1621, some folks claim that the first Thanksgiving actually came two years earlier, in December 1619 in Berkeley Plantation, Va.

Others claim the Pueblo, Cherokee, Creek and many other tribes had been holding harvest festivals for centuries by the time the first Europeans set foot on the North American continent.

George Washington proclaimed the first national Thanksgiving in 1789, and presidents have been declaring the observance annually since Abraham Lincoln called for a day of thanksgiving in the midst of the Civil War in 1863.

“This day’s roots are intertwined with those of our nation, and its history traces the American narrative,” President Barack Obama wrote in his Thanksgiving proclamation.

The day has been observed on the fourth Thursday in November since Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the tradition into law in 1941.

In his proclamation, Obama noted that Americans arrived in this country from around the world.

“While we observe traditions from every culture, Thanksgiving Day is a unique national tradition we all share,” Obama wrote. “Its spirit binds us together as one people, each of us thankful for our common blessings.”

He urged Americans to reach out to fellow citizens in need of a helping hand.

“This is a time for us to renew our bonds with one another, and we can fulfill that commitment by serving our communities and our nation throughout the year,” Obama wrote.

He urged Americans to come together in homes, churches, community centers or any other place where family, friends and neighbors could gather to express gratitude for our blessings and to share our bounty with others.

It would be easy, particularly now as our economy recovers from the worst downturn since the Great Depression, to focus on our challenges and hardships. Life, for many of us, could certainly be better.

But we should remember the example of the Pilgrims. They had seen many of their friends and family members perish during a difficult voyage. And even after reaching their destination, they were struggling to survive in a strange new world.

Still, they took time to share what they had and to say thanks for their blessings.

Let us all follow their lead. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

— Logansport Pharos-Tribune