Happy Thanksgiving!

"Freedom from Want" 1943 by Norman Rockwell

 I thought I'd post this now before I am too busy on Thursday! I'm cooking this year and baking (three pies!) so it's a busy week. Tomorrow I pick up our turkey from the Farmer's Market. This has always been my favorite holiday, probably because it is the beginning of the holiday season and because I used to love to go to my Grandma and Grandpa's house to see all of my relatives. As time went on, everyone seemed to move to different places, including myself, so new family traditions have replaced the old.

I'm particularly thankful this year for our history in the United States. For the bravery of the pilgrims to find a home where they could live without oppressive government controlling the decisions for what was best for their families. And to practice their religion without the government telling how to live out their faith. They valued family because they knew it was the only way to continue to prosper in this new land and to carry on the valuable traditions of their faith. They were the first immigrants and many, many more have followed in their footsteps. Just one generation before me, my family immigrated here. My Dad's family wanted to seize the opportunities that America held for their family and for a chance at their own businesses. My Mom's family had been here since possibly the signing of the Declaration of Independence (there is a Middleton on that document), and so they must have saw the potential here as opposed to their motherland of England.

Since the 1960's it has been considered progressive and hip to buck tradition and morality, and this has even seeped into our churches with notions that keeping traditions is somehow bad. Any Christian could tell you that Paul states without question that we should keep to our traditions. Why? Because that's the only way we teach the next generation all the valuable wisdom that we have accumulated. No one knows this more than the family because they are the only ones who love their offspring more than any government agency or public schoolhouse. Morality doesn't exist inside of selfishness and greed, which is why the Pilgrims were trying to loosen their ties with England. We are a wonderful nation that was built by the People, for the People to pursue happiness without the oppression of large government. We set up moral rules to maintain civility and to protect each other from harm. And we defend the rights of citizens to do this. I hope that this will continue because there is no other country that believes in low taxation and inspires individual prosperity like in the United States of America. It is unfortunate that our President doesn't share the vision that America was founded on. We also are a nation that gives billions of dollars in aid to nations all over the world because we are prosperous to do so. We defend the weak and help the poor. We expect individual responsibility because that is the American way of life. Again, our current President forgets these virtues. I hope that the United States remembers it's traditions especially at this time of year.

"The First Thanksgiving" 1915 by Jean Louis Gerome Ferris

I hope that you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving this week!