Gobble Gobble: A Note About Thanksgiving

The Thanksgiving tradition stretches all the way back to the early days of the republic, when George Washington was at the helm of the fledgling nation.

Following a resolution of Congress, President Washington proclaimed Thursday the 26th of November 1789 a day of “public thanksgiving and prayer” devoted to “the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be.” Reflecting American religious practice, Presidents and Congresses regularly designated days of fasting and thanksgiving through the the mid-1800s. But the Thanksgiving holiday we celebrate every November was formally established by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War and made into law by Congress in 1941, when Franklin D. Roosevelt was in office.

I think everyone should be thankful for their blessings each day of the year, not just on the fourth Thursday of November. We often get so caught up in work and other responsibilities that we neglect to focus on what matters most: our family and friends. It's incumbent on us to take a moment each day to stop what we're doing and give thanks for even the smallest things that can be taken for granted: the ability to see, hear, and walk; our jobs; our cars; our health; and so on.

I am also thankful for all of my readers on this blog. Without you, this blog wouldn't be what it is today. It has grown exponentially in a short period of time, and your comments and suggestions have informed many of the topics I've chosen to write about. This blog is my passion, and I regard each and every one of you as my friends, even though we've never met in person. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

I wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving. If you're traveling, please be safe out there!

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