Returning Thanks: Thanksgiving Traditions

Guest Post by Bradford (my husband!)

Thanksgiving can mean a lot of different things to people. It can mean a couple of days off from work. It can mean watching football, or getting together with the family to eat. Some treat the holiday as just a day, but the origin of the day is to give thanks to God for provision.

In the US, Thanksgiving dates back to the Pilgrims and Indians at Plymouth Rock. Lincoln established the annual observance of Thanksgiving as a time to heal our country during the Civil War, but it was not officially recognized as a holiday until FDR’s third term in 1942. Regardless of the time-line, it is evident that pausing to give thanks was important and a worthy tradition to carry on.

A tradition we have is a large dinner on Thanksgiving night. Thursday will mark the 31st year of this particular gathering. Over the years, there have been many people pull up a chair at my Aunt Roxy’s table. Friends with no plans, girlfriends, relatives and even a few babies have passed the turkey around. Some of those faces are no longer with us. One who comes to mind is my granddad. Known by many as Sonny, his name was Clyde. For a great many of those dinners, he would “return thanks” and bless the meal for us.

I love how he called it “return thanks” and the words came to him effortlessly. In today’s fast paced life, some would have thought him simple or quaint. He was a farmer. His life spanned two world wars, the great depression, the Cold War and 9/11. He lived in one place and attended the same Baptist church his whole life. He may not have been wealthy, but he was a rich man. His blessings were endless and he truly was thankful for what he had. You could see it in his actions and read it on his face when he held a baby. He was thankful and knew from “Whom all blessing flow”.

So on Thursday, Thanksgiving rolls around again. I think it is OK to run a Turkey Trot, stuff yourself, take a nap and watch football. It is OK to laugh and have fun with your family. I’m going to do all of that….but I’m also going to be thankful for the time I spent with Clyde. I hope to be able to return thanks as he did for a long time to come.