Charles
Dickens penned, “Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has
many – not your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.”
The
media often magnifies the doom and gloom of our societal issues and forecasts
more hardship ahead. However, things aren’t ever as bleak as some would have us
believe.
I say
rebel against pessimism! Let’s reflect
and be contented with our bounty this Thanksgiving. From medicine to
microwaves, modern conveniences have allowed us to live longer, work less, and
have more time for leisure. We have come a very long way since the first
Thanksgiving feast almost four hundred years ago!
It all
started in the fall of 1621. The Plymouth colonist (Pilgrims) gathered to give
thanks for their first harvest and for surviving their first dreadful winter in
Massachusetts. And it was dreadful! Two or three Pilgrims died every day during
the first two months they were in Plymouth. Four entire families were taken.
Thirteen of the eighteen women died. There were no preventative flu shots,
fever reducers, cough medicines, or hospitals to isolate and care for the sick.
The
fortunate survivors were greatly aided by their newfound Indian friends. Many
argue none would have survived without their help. It would be many years
before the great friendship between the white European and the Indians would
end.
Kids were
not playing video games, watching TV, or texting their friends. Children as
young as five worked from sunrise to sunset fetching wood, gathering water, and
herding geese. Older children worked in the fields, harvesting and fertilizing
new crops. Teenage boys helped with plowing and hunting while teenage girls
took care of the infants, sewed, and cooked meals.
Pilgrim
parents constantly corrected and disciplined their children. They thought the
Native people were too lenient with their young.
If that’s
not enough to make your kids fall to their knees in gratitude, tell them this.
Both girls and boys wore dresses –
full length dresses called gowns. And, they didn’t throw them in the washer and
dryer after a hard days work. When they laundry, which was not very often, it
was in a bucket of cold salt water.
Today many
families celebrate Thanksgiving watching football and eating heaps of delicious
food. Why not include some appreciative reflection. One way is to join the
family together and create a thankful paper chain. It’s super easy. Just cut
out strips of paper and connect them together as loops.
Before linking them,
write a grateful note on each. Brainstorm all the luxuries of modern life
before having the kids write theirs. Once it’s finished, color it, glitter it
up, and hang it over the door, or on the Christmas tree for a decorative
reminder of our blessings.
I hope you
and your family enjoyed a thankful, blessed Thanksgiving with all the trimmings
and trappings of a modern day feast!
Contact
Margaret Lavin at elementarydays@gmail.com.
