November 22, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving!

A few years back I had a boss who was an immigrant from Latin America. Many of my coworkers were also immigrants from all around the world.

While the boss was widely regarded as a real SOB, he always made a big deal of celebrating Thanksgiving at the company. We'd have a party and do a turkey raffle where everyone would end up with a turkey or ham.

But, the nicest thing would be the speech he made.

He would say that Thanksgiving was a special holiday to him because he thought of it as being uniquely American. Unlike most, it was a holiday that did not commemorate a battle or a leader, nor was it based in a particular religion's tenets.

It was simply a day in which Americans gave thanks for what we have.

In a time when we clamor to build walls to keep people out or rush headlong into giving up long cherished rights out of fear, it's sometimes nice to step back and hear the perspective of someone not born here who can see this country with fresh eyes and be thankful for what it still offers.




(OK, this is 2pj and I cannot dwell completely in
the sentimental. I am also thankful for the snark!)
.

2 comments:

Sherry Pasquarello said...

oh, i loved that!

happy thanksgiving to you and yours and everyone.

Anonymous said...

Thanskgiving, Abraham Lincoln's idea. Like most of Lincoln's ideas, it was a darn good one...