THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving is here, so close that you can almost smell the turkey and dressing, and pumpkin and pecan pies cooking in the oven. It seems that this time of year really flies by and once Halloween comes it is just wham bam until Thanksgiving and Christmas have past and we are looking at a whole new year. It is really true what is said about time flying faster as you get older. It seems that I was just cooking Thanksgiving dinner and here it is time to do it again.

I think we all start thinking about the things that we are thankful for around this time of year. I am thankful for my family, friends and the fact that I have lived long enough to have raised my children and am now enjoying watching my grand kids grow. I am thankful that I am still able to work and have a job I enjoy and fellow workmates that make my job more interesting to go to each day. I am thankful that my children have picked wonderful mates that are dependable and hard working and devoted to their families. Most of all I am thankful for the fact that grew up in the time that I did.

I grew up in a time when we not only could but were expected to pray each day before class started and we were expected to say the pledge of allegiance with our hand over our heart and taught how to honor our faith and our flag. I grew up in a time when everyone assumed that God was a man and when we said "Our Father who art in Heaven", we new that we were talking to our heavenly Father. I grew up in a time when we celebrated Christmas and never heard anyone of any faith protesting the fact that a Nativity scene was set up on any one's lawn, or in front of a church or public building. I grew up in a time when we actually Christmas caroled in our neighborhood and was never confronted by any negative comments and when we put up our Christmas tree, it was not a Holiday tree, it went up a few days before Christmas and I still remember how excited we were when we finally screwed enough bulbs to make the whole string of lights come on at once. We should all have that excitement like we had when we were little.

I think we have all become so politically correct that we have forgotten how to just bask in the simple pleasure of the moment. We should trust each other enough to believe we are capable of tolerating our individual differences.

I am thankful for the memories of the past, which seem a little naive, even to myself now. It was nice thinking that our President and other politicians had our best interest in mind. It was nice thinking that a family consisted of a Dad, Mother and children. It was nice thinking that all children were loved and cared for. I am thankful that I grew up in a small town and was able to experience all the things I have written about above. I think if I was a child growing up now I would be a total misfit.