Somehow, it seems that the pages on the calendar are flipping by at a faster and faster pace. Here we are, almost at Thanksgiving Day. I have always enjoyed Thanksgiving Day. The day was always surrounded by family and all the smells, sights and sounds (at times, noises) that come along with large family gatherings.
For several years, Thanksgiving Day would have a very early start. My father and I would wake early enough to make it from our house to my uncle's "farm," near Lovett, at daylight in order to hunt ducks. By the time the sun came up, our quarry would shift from the feathered kind to the furry kind as we would trade our shotguns for rifles and we would traverse the wooded areas around the farm, looking for squirrels. That activity would occupy our time until the smells of the cooking Thanksgiving dinner would tempt us from the woods back into the house for a feast. By the time dinner was ready, everyone else from the family will have found their way to the farm and we would enjoy a wonderful meal of turkey, ham, dressing, peas and a cornucopia of dessert offerings of cakes, pies and confections of every imaginable kind.
Dinner was usually followed by a relaxing time watching a ball game during the early afternoon hours. Later, we would find ourselves back outside, this time in the cornfields of the farm. There, we would test our marksmanship with the many doves that would speedily fly over the cornfield. The doves seemed to quickly discover that they were much safer flying over my area of the cornfield than they were venturing over any place occupied by my father. The annual "dove shoot" would often last until late in the afternoon, when my father and I would enjoy a few parting shots at those ducks from earlier in the day.
There was never any guarantee that our hunting efforts would yield many results. My father often told me, "That's why it's called 'hunting and fishing,' if there were any guarantees, it would just be called 'gathering.'" One thing we always knew would be guaranteed was the warmth, joy and love that comes from spending time with family.
The season of Thanksgiving gives us an opportunity to do something we really should be doing on a continual basis. Thanksgiving reminds us that regardless of whatever challenges we may be facing, there are ALWAYS numerous reasons for which to be thankful. If the reasons aren't apparent enough; then be thankful for the challenges, and for the increased strength that comes from facing those challenges. Please know that my heart is filled with gratitude for each of you and for your willingness to allow me to visit each week over these past three years. I hope this Thanksgiving renews a sense of gratitude in your heart for the blessings that can always be found all around us. Happy Thanksgiving.