dual personalities

Today we celebrate Thanksgiving and my nephew’s birthday (Happy Birthday, dear WRC!). I know that it’s Saturday and therefore not actually Thanksgiving, but we had to postpone so that we wouldn’t be alone. Son #1 arrives sometime later today to join his parents for the Big Meal which we’ll start preparing shortly. We had hoped son #3 and his girlfriend would make it, but they cannot come, so there will only be three of us.

This famous N.C. Wyeth painting got me thinking about those first hardy pilgrims. I know it’s not politically correct these days to appreciate the hard lives they led and how brave they were to venture over the ocean in little wooden ships, but they deserve to be celebrated. After all, they risked everything and they died in droves so that they could live free (and, yes, I know that there were indentured servants and a few slaves). But think about the challenges they faced!

Being thankful for the first settlers does not take anything away from Native Americans or anyone else. Nor is it meant to. When we study the past, we need to study all of it and take it on its own terms, both good and bad. I, for one, think those early settlers were amazing, and on the whole, set a great example for those who followed.

But back to the present! After our perfect meal, we’ll move seamlessly and quickly to Christmas decorating. We’ll whisk away all signs of Fall and turkeys and make the switch to Christmas. We don’t have much time because our son has to leave again on Sunday afternoon. I’m not complaining; I’m grateful that one of my sons can come home! That’s about it for this Saturday. I hope you’ll forgive the short post but I’ve got to get into the kitchen to make pie!