Thanksgiving thanks

“Thanksgiving is America’s chow down feast, the one occasion each year when gluttony becomes a patriotic duty.” — Michael Dresser

Thanksgiving is my favorite day of the year, a day set aside to give thanks for our blessings; to look at the “filled” portion of our lives rather than the half-empty portion.

The initial Thanksgiving meal occurred in 1621 as a celebration of the harvest. Fifty-three Pilgrims attended the feast. Among them were long-recognized names like Miles Standish, John Alden and William Bradford. Also attending were colorfully named Puritan children Remember Allerton (Who could forget?), Love Brewster (A great feeling to bring to the meal.), Wrestling Brewster (Don’t mess with him!), Humility Cooper (She’s a lot deeper person than you would initially sense.), Oceanus Hopkins (A fisherman’s daughter, I’d guess.), Desire Minter (Dad, protect your child…from herself!), and Resolved White (Don’t try and change her mind.) These Puritans celebrated their successful harvest with local tribal leader Massasoit, and ninety of his tribesmen. 

“Thanksgiving” was not attached to the fall feast until 1623, in response to receiving badly needed rainfall.

In 1777, the Continental Congress created Thanksgiving as a nationwide holiday. The exact day of celebration was cemented on the fourth Thursday of November by Congress in 1941. It is now a day of turkey, football, pumpkin pie, and gathering with friends and family. It also generally commences the holiday weight gain we all battle starting New Year’s Day.

Sometimes all we should be thankful for gets overshadowed by life’s day-to-day events. With our nation having spent the past years experiencing daily political acrimony and splintering, some quiet reflection on our commonalities and personal blessings is a welcome change.     

This year I – like so many people – have much to be thankful for.

I am thankful the election is over. Again, instead of eradicating hunger and homelessness, billions of dollars went to media campaign ads. It will be nice to, once again, be bombarded with fast food and pharmaceutical ads, instead of negative, aggressive 30-second clips.

I am thankful for a peaceful transfer of power. Win, lose or draw, Americans deserve, and need, that.

I am thankful for good health. Over the past twelve months four dear friends have been diagnosed with cancer, three friends are in cognitive decline. My turn for such afflictions will undoubtedly come at some point in the future. Until then, I plan to re-dedicate myself to appreciating, and using, my current good health in a positive way, every day. Years ago, I asked an elderly client to tell me something he’d learned over his long, interesting life. Without hesitation, he said, “Another word for ‘happiness’ is ‘good health.’”

I am thankful for my friends and family. Some years ago, a study noted that the average person has 1.2 people they’d call a friend and share a secret with. The consequences of feeling you are in the world alone are so significant that a new question will be added to the normal queries as part of senior citizen’s annual wellness exams: Do you feel lonely? It is a blessing to all of us who do not.

As you commence your Thanksgiving meal, please look around at the people joining you, and give thanks for the many blessings in your life. Happy Thanksgiving.

(Jeff Tolman is a Greybull native, the son of GHS grads Bob and Freda Gould Tolman, and the grandson of Anna May Gould Simonson and the late Fred Gould, who edited the Standard years ago.  His family moved to Portland where Jeff graduated from high school. He graduated from law school, practiced law and was a district court judge. He also wrote a column for the local newspaper, and then shared his talent with the Standard.  Jeff retired in July 2023.  We hope you enjoy his writing and appreciate his sharing his love of writing with the Standard.)