SitemapAs American citizens, as residents of the Mahoning Valley and as members of proud families, Thanksgiving Day 2018 affords all an opportune time to reflect on the blessings and bounties bestowed upon us over the past year.
As we gather today around tables to reunite with loved ones and feast upon succulent turkey with all the tasty trimmings, it is instructive to recall the foundation of the tradition 397 years ago. At that first Thanksgiving in Plymouth Colony, Pilgrims and the indigenous Native American Wampanoag tribe sat down together in a spirit of peace and acceptance of diversity to celebrate their collective bountiful harvest and good fortune.
But in 1621, just as in 2018, not all of this nation’s people had a seat at the table of plenty. Then, as now, hardships, poverty, disease and famine ran rampant.
And today, just as in 17th century Plymouth, the duality of this holiday remains stark. While many Americans rejoice with heaping helpings of reasons to give thanks, many others scrimp, scrape and struggle just to survive another day.
To be sure, however, most of us have more than ample reasons to give thanks on this national holiday. To read the full story from The Vindicator, click here.