Maybe the turkey ate my homework

Giving thanks is the focus of this week and, truth be told, should be what we do every week. You all know the story of how President Roosevelt, who wanted to respond to the economic pressures in the US during his presidency, launched a number of huge political upheavals. Maybe the largest was when he moved the Federal observance of Thanksgiving from the last Thursday (there were 5 that year) to the fourth. His political opponents called it “Franksgiving”. The President believed that shifting thanksgiving a week earlier would allow for more Christmas sales and improve the economy. In the end a compromise was reached, and the holiday was set as the fourth Thursday in November.

We are all familiar with the Federal Government’s Holiday observances. What we may have missed is that they were purposefully added to the national school curriculum to create a series of student experiences that would ground them in the American culture. During the late 19th and early 20th century the US was experiencing massive immigrations from non-traditional cultures. The change in demographics and the diversity it created prompted leaders to respond with classroom-based events that were designed to create a shared cultural heritage (Enter Memorial Day, Washington’s Birthday, Flag Day, and Thanksgiving). They believed that by creating common stories grounded in the American way of life the newly immigrating families would become stronger citizens and feel a sense of shared national pride. The imagery of Pilgrams and local native people coming together to enjoy corn and turkey became the shared story across the country. We all grew up with that story and often do not pause to examine its origins or other perspectives. The reality of what was is much different from what we were taught.

Today many question the history of the first days of thanksgiving in our country. The story of Pilgrams was a northern US perspective. People from the south had other stories about French and Spanish traditions. The death and destruction of native people’s lives and lands was lost in a story of sharing corn and meals with 50 survivors of a sailing vessel after a winter of illness and starvation. It turns out the winners get to share a perspective and write the story.

The history of Thanksgiving has many deep cultural, political, and religious dimensions. It’s origins and influences seem to be just as diversely present today as ever. But (and this is an intentional shift) the deeper purpose is to intentionally pause and reflect on all that we have in our lives that should produce a sense of gratitude. Focusing on the best in our lives is not a form of escape, it is a state of mind that can help our best selves surface more often. In a 2017 study focused on individuals who were struggling with mental health issues, participants who wrote three gratitude letters had significant improvement in their state of well-being four and twelve weeks later.

So, maybe a homework assignment for all of us, that has positive impact on the recipients and ourselves, is to take time over the next 3-4 weeks to write a personal note of gratitude and appreciation to someone who has had a positive impact on your life. If the research is true, we will become unshackled from our negative emotions, and experience greater activation of our medial prefrontal cortex (I’ll let you all dig into that one on your own). I know pausing each week to share a few reflections with you all has certainly helped me recenter and feel deep gratitude for the opportunities life brings.

When I was exploring the history of Thanksgiving, I came across President Lincoln’s Proclamation for the observance of Thanksgiving. During a Civil War, with a greatly divided nation, the President paused to give thanks. He also called out the reality that none of us are perfect and without blame for the hardships we see around us.

Our cultural norms have greatly changed over the years. What felt appropriate to share at the national level in the 1800’s might feel like a violation of norms today.We share this thing called life. Regardless of how we interpret the reality of it, I feel it is appropriate to conclude with just one quote this week.

"I do, therefore,?invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a Day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.

And I recommend to them that, while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation, and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union."

President Abraham Lincoln