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Like many this Thanksgiving, we see it as a chance to reflect on what we’re thankful for. And, despite a devastating flood the last of September, of which many are still feeling the effects, Thanksgiving is a day to give thanks for which we are grateful – food on the table, a roof over our head, the spirit of togetherness.

The last few months have been rough ones for many in our community – from dealing with flood losses, repair and rebuilding to coping with the escalating costs for everything from the food for everyday meals, heating costs, etc.

Headlines of happenings, across the globe, our state, and right here in Elizabethton have been troubling.

With some parts of the world torn by savage war and others wracked by persistent poverty and hopelessness, giving thanks may seem like a stretch. But make no mistake: More people than ever are living on this planet, and more are living better. Give thanks.

We are part of that most fortunate generation that grew up after WWII ended, where hope marched arm-in-arm with prosperity. We expected to do much better than our parents in every way, and we did.

We expected life to improve on all its frontiers, from mobility to health, and it has. We expected to own something of value (maybe a house, a car, some savings), and we have.

More than ever, we have lived lives free from want, loaded with good things. We have had high expectations, and they have been fulfilled.

Still, on Thursday, we will eat, we will celebrate, and we will give thanks as we put aside, if only for a day, those issues to focus on what is good within our family, good within our community.

Like many many, we understand Thanksgiving as a chance to reflect on what we’re thankful for. It brings us close to people we don’t see as often as those in our immediate group of family and friends. It’s a holiday filled with love, joy, stories and – very importantly – delicious food.

And though the holiday season can be a stressful time for some, we hope the spirit of Thanksgiving gifts you the time and space to reflect on what you’re thankful for. 

Though it’s been over 400 years since the first Thanksgiving, be thankful for the holiday that has come to be a personal moment of reflection and all the ways in which we’re learning, growing and continuing to challenge how we understand the world around us. 

Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday for many Americans to count their blessings plus it signals the beginning of the holiday season, which includes Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Yule Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day – all within about 40 days.

Thanksgiving Day is more than just eating turkey and watching football games. American culture celebrates the traditional first Thanksgiving in 1621 when the Pilgrims invited Wampanoag Indians to celebrate their first harvest. The Pilgrims had arrived in the fall of 1620 ill-prepared for the New England weather. Only half of the 102 passengers survived the first winter.

The romantic history of the first Thanksgiving is not reality. Turkey was not even served at that first Thanksgiving – more likely fish and deer. For the Wampanoags and other Native Americans, the first Thanksgiving was the beginning of a long history of marginalization and cultural genocide over the next four centuries. For those Native Americans, the day is considered a day of mourning.

However, at the height of the Civil War, President Lincoln issued a proclamation establishing a national day of Thanksgiving when the nation needed a day of thanks. It soon became an American tradition to celebrate a good harvest and thank God for his blessings. Americans were not the first to hold such harvest celebrations, for the Egyptians, Romans and most Native Americans had harvest celebrations for many centuries before.

However, there are many reasons to be thankful in 2024.

Thanksgiving remains a fun holiday to focus on the four F’s – food, family, friends, and, of course, football.