'The First Thanksgiving' by Jean Louis Gerome Ferris
notice how Ferris gives the best friend center stage
That first Thanksgiving was a high water mark in Euro-American relations with their indigenous cousins. There really were a number of first Thanksgivings but they all shared one feature, starving European colonists being fed by empathic natives. The native inhabitants were animists, they believed that plants and animals had spirits which were angered by the harvest. To appease these spirits, tribes would make offerings which often included elaborate festivals. These ceremonies provided the foundation for today’s Thanksgiving Day holiday.
Early on i learned that football, dinner and a nap were followed by endless turkey sandwiches and days of turkey soup. Even back then i had lots to be thankful for. Thanksgiving, back in the day, wasn't a prelude to shopping, it was a day of football shaped turkeys and those damn brussel sprouts.
There's a lot to give thanks for everyday, the health of my kids and grand kids, the love of my best friend Pancho, the forest, the air we share, everything really. Thanks for the snow falling outside, thanks for the hot coffee and the window between them. Thanks for the memories...Thanks
