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God Bless America
By Jerry L. Ginther
Tradition has significance for most seniors, I believe, especially during the autumn and winter holidays. I mean, what would Thanksgiving Day be without the traditional turkey dinner with pumpkin pie, stuffing, cranberry sauce and the many other treats associated with the day? The aroma from the kitchen created anticipation for all who waited for the feast to be served. Who would think of dining out at a restaurant on this occasion unless one had no family with which to share the day?
There was always excitement in the preparations, too. And, as the old song, Over the River and Through Wood, suggests, we often went to Grandmother's house for the day. Family would begin arriving at Grandma's house mid morning, some with excited children. Some would bring side dishes to share, and all brought good humor and a healthy appetite. The ladies gathered in the kitchen with cheerful greetings and preparations for the meal got underway. I don't recall any complaints concerning, "too many cooks in the kitchen."
So many cheerful conversations took place before, during and after the meal. Of course I can't remember every Thanksgiving Day, but I can remember the atmosphere that was present at all. With the men folk, the first fishing tale would never top the last, and every buck deer bagged had a huge rack. If you were a young boy, you were enthralled by the adventure. Even the girls found enjoyment in those accounts. The details of each hunt and fishing trip were articulated in such vivid detail that they captured the imagination of the listeners as only the old storytellers could. The art of conversation and story telling was still intact in those days. That is to say, they were never boring. To me there was no such thing as an embellished account. If one of my uncles was telling the story, it had to be just as he told it. Is there any wonder as to why they enjoyed telling their stories to children? Yes, we believed every word!
Grandma's table was never adequate to seat all of the family. Small folding tables were always brought into service and not all in the same room, which brings me to another point. No matter how many showed up, no matter how much extra difficulty was incurred, she was thankful for each and every person present. She beamed with delight to see how the family had grown since last Thanksgiving Day.
As with most traditions, we have passed this one on to our children and grandchildren. We can't help it! The memories are just too wonderful. In most cases, it was never just one family at Grandma's house; it was aunts, uncles, most of the cousins, as well as my own siblings.
If you are a "blogger" then you are familiar with "key words." The keyword here is Thanksgiving. Our forefathers seemed to frame the day around a harvest celebration enjoyed by the Pilgrims and Indians of colonial America, even though an actual day had not yet been declared. The pictures of harvested grain, garden produce, wild game, and pies and cakes in the midst of the thankful people of those days, set the theme for the day we enjoy in our time. Those colorful pictures portray the dress of their day and something of a bountiful harvest. However, in the history text we learn of the humility of the settlers of that era, too, willing and unashamed to thank Almighty God, through prayer, for all that they had. Also, because the day is a day of family gathering, I'm always reminded of the Hymn, We Gather Together. It rings so appropriately and has been sung traditionally for this holiday as far back as I can remember. The first line begins, "We Gather Together to Ask the Lord's Blessing." Being thankful was an American Tradition long before it was an established holiday. Now, we are privileged to have a special day set aside for thanksgiving, family gathering and celebration. So, let us gather with our family and friends. Let us feast, celebrate, sing our songs of Thanksgiving and remember our God in prayer for His blessings of the day.
Whatever practices or traditions are observed in your home, we can all be thankful that we have this special day in America, because we do have so much for which to be grateful. It is my prayer that each and everyone will have a blessed and wonderful holiday with family and/or friends.
Copyright © 2002 - 2016 Jerry Ginther, All rights reserved worldwide
