In the United States, November 23rd is recognized as Thanksgiving Day. The proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln that created this national holiday was wrapped in religious trappings. For now, let’s leave aside the religiosity of his language and the inaccuracy of the ‘history’ surrounding the holiday. In doing so, we find that the spirit of the holiday is sound and still worthy of recognition.
The spirit of Thanksgiving is one of gratitude.
John Donne wrote, in the misogynistic language of his time, that “No man is an island.” The truth of this cannot be overstated. The Self, the center and total of who we are, does not arise independently. No one is ‘self-made.’
The source of our dependence as children goes beyond our parents. I know many stood behind her mother and I in raising our daughter. We were not alone.
This fact doesn’t end upon reaching adulthood. The Self still depends on others for its stability, health, and continued growth for the rest of its physical existence. Our dependence continues until the day we die.
We are all raised and sustained by a village.
It’s this interconnectedness with each other that makes Thanksgiving Day worthy of celebrating.
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