Giving Thanks

I photographed the Mayflower while it passed through the Cape Cod Canal.

    Imagine the misery. Those early Pilgrims, crammed aboard the Mayflower, suffered from an assortment of diseases during the winter of 1620/1621. It happened while they were anchored off the coast of Massachusetts. Half of them perished.
    Imagine the relief. Half a year later they had built homes on land. Crops where being harvested. No wonder they held a celebration. Turkey meat was devoured. It was our nation’s first Thanksgiving.
    On Thursday—Thanksgiving—that tradition continues. My family will eat turkey. So will my fellow Americans.
    Will they also thank God for their blessings? Some people won’t. But I am confident that millions of Americans will recite a grace before eating their meals. And that’s a tradition repeated every day.