Thanksgiving 2009

by

Leo Crocker Rogers

It was Tokyo, and I was flabbergasted.

I was just a young whipper snapper who had seen but a snapshot of the world. But at Christmas time in Tokyo, the decorations, the toys, the marketing of everything you can imagine was beyond anything I had seen, even in New York.

I was flabbergasted because Japan was about 84% Buddhist and about 1% Christian. So why the helablu? Well of course the celebrations were not of the Christ but of the dollar – yen.

Over the following years, I have visited some 15 or so countries on several continents. At Christmas time, there are Christmas celebrations everywhere. For religious or dollar reasons, Christmas is ubiquitous.

Not so with Thanksgiving. Two countries have an official national Thanksgiving day. The USA and Canada.

Canada celebrates the time of successful harvesting of crops.

The USA sort of celebrates the success of crops, but more the success of the landing of the Pilgrims settling the new world and the fact that what they had to eat was what they needed to stay alive – a remembering of the tough times overcome.

I spoke with a lady from the Philippines today. She knew of our Thanksgiving, but such was not celebrated there. Likely, few other countries celebrate our Thanksgiving, which seems only natural.

Why? The Christ in Christmas is omniscient whereas the turkey of Thanksgiving is home-grown.

Ah, but Thanksgiving is one well home-grown time. It is family. It is gratitude. It is non-religious. It is non-commercial (no gifts).

Those of other countries are flabbergasted. Why the fuss? Russia, Afghanistan, Brazil, South Africa, all countries have had founding days – Pilgrim days; and most all have times of bountiful harvest. So what is the big deal? Really?

It is a big deal because Thanksgiving is purely spiritual. Gratitude is core – it is not for materiality in shape or form, but for life.

I can be as poor as a church mouse and be grateful or live in a penthouse in N.Y. and be grateful. I can be with family or live alone under a bridge. I can be of any religion I want and be equally grateful. I can be an American fighting person and enjoy a turkey MRE with just as big a smile as if I were eating at home.

Simply: Gratitude is an attitude.

It is a mental world. Everything boils down to how we think.

Thanksgiving is a thinking celebration – a national day of internal warmth.

It is a day that strikes of the Biblical poor widow woman who gave her two mites to the treasury of whom Jesus said that she gave more than the wealthy for they gave of their abundance but she of her life.

Thanksgiving is like that. Be one poor or wealthy, gratitude is unlimited and even more, those that have little can feel more than those that have a lot.

That is America. Yes, America is the land of opportunity. But more. America is the land of gratitude. The day of remembrance is called Thanksgiving. It is the only American holiday that rates a presidential proclamation.

Thanksgiving is remembering the generations before. Their toil. Their sacrifices. Their commitment. And the father back we look, the less materialism we see.

To live another day without being grateful is un-American.

Others may scoff at our national holiday, but gratitude is nothing of which to be scoffed. It is not egotistic pride. It is humble understanding.

Good comes with that which is spiritual.

Gratitude is spiritual.

Good is here.

As Pooh Bear would say, or perhaps Captain Picard, "Make it so."

And we will.

Happy Thanksgiving.