Dear All –
Happy Thanksgiving!
As discussed in the Friday group, the first Thanksgiving
took place in 1621 when the Pilgrims celebrated and gave thanks for an
excellent crop which was a silver lining
in the hardships and privations they had experienced in this new land. Now, as they were enjoying their
new religious freedom which they had traveled so far to obtain, they felt that
God had richly blessed them and so wanted to express their gratitude.
Continuing this spirit of gratitude, Thanksgiving is now
celebrated annually on the fourth Thursday of November. Family and friends gather together to
share in a feast and to remember and give thanks for the many blessings that
they have experienced and continue to enjoy.
There is an iconic painting which captures the essence of
Thanksgiving. It is called Freedom From Want and was one of a
series of four oil paintings produced in 1943 by the American artist Norman
Rockwell.
When we look at this picture, we see a happy extended family
all gathered together around the dinner table in expectation of a wonderful
feast. The proud grandparents stand at the head of the table. Grandfather, as head of the family and
dressed in his Sunday best, stands ready to carve the turkey which
traditionally is his ritual function.
Grandmother, as chef de cuisine,
has worked lovingly for hours creating the wonderful dishes to be served and
she now proudly brings out the golden-brown turkey, done to perfection, from
her busy kitchen. Later, to
conclude the meal, she’ll plate and serve her award-winning apple pie which
will knock their socks off.
Seated at the table are the couple’s children,
grandchildren, siblings and friends; all engaged in lighthearted conversation
and enjoying the festive atmosphere.
Note that on this occasion, the best china is used as well as the best
silverware and polished silver serving pieces. These items are normally stored and only brought out for
special celebrations.
As a side note,
notice that the great happiness shown in this ideal situation is not marred by
the intrusion of a noisy television set or those ubiquitous, disruptive cell
phones. The focus is on the
family.
Wishing you all the blessings of the season,
Kevin
Reminder: If you are unsure about the meaning of the
idioms used in this message, please refer to "Idioms, Figures of Speech,
and Proverbs" posted in August. An alternative is to look at http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com
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