It’s Thanksgiving, our great American holiday of appreciation. It almost didn’t make it through history, this annual celebration. It was President Washington who, in 1789, in his very first presidential proclamation, declared a day of national thanksgiving. But interest waned after that, and it was pretty much a forgotten holiday until President Lincoln felt compelled to revive the tradition, proclaiming the last Thursday of November, 1863, for the same purpose. It was a rough time for a young nation in the grips of a civil war. When you get right down to it, we are often in rough times. But we muster up and pull through and we do what needs doing. And on this last Thursday of November, we continue that tradition. We gather together, share a meal, if we are lucky, with those we love, and we consider all our blessings. They are many, even when we doubt the fact. From Seth and me, to all of you: Happy Thanksgiving.
Our image is of an old letterpress cut that we have used these past three years on each of our annual Copperman’s Day prints each January. They read Take Joy, Take Peace, Take Heaven. They are based on a Christmas letter written by Fra Giovanni Giocondo in 1513. Fra Giovanni seems to know a thing or two about thankfulness.
Happy Thanksgiving to you. As I count my blessings, you are among them. Such joy to find your thoughts filling my inbox so often. Thanks for the many celebrations you have added to my life! Enjoy this very special day.
Aww, thank you, Dixie. That’s very sweet and very much appreciated; I’m thankful for you, as well, and all the faithful readers who don’t mind my ramblings. Happy Thanksgiving!