Editor’s Corner: Blessed this Thanksgiving

American journalist Tony Snow once said, “If you think Independence Day is America’s defining holiday, think again. Thanksgiving deserves that title, hands down.”

I could not agree more.

America’s “first Thanksgiving” dates back to November 1621, when the newly arrived Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians gathered at Plymouth for an autumn harvest celebration. They were grateful for the simple things in life... food, shelter, family, friendship, and the right to worship their God.

Today, I am thankful for those same gifts. Contrary to popular belief, Thanksgiving is really not about sitting around an early decorated Christmas tree waiting for the Black Friday sales to begin early. It’s not even about watching the highly anticipated five days of holiday movie premiers on television.

It’s about sitting around a big dinner table, holding hands with those you love, and giving thanks for the brave men and women who first stepped foot on Amer-ican soil 402 years ago... the brave souls who were looking for a better life for their children and generations to come.

It’s a time to be grateful for the family and friends who love you; and most importantly, for the God who never leaves our side, no matter how undeserving we are.

Most of you know, I grew up on a farm. I am the youngest of 10 children of an Arkansas Delta sharecropper. Every year when Thanksgiving rolled around, we truly celebrated. The harvest had just been completed and it was the only time of the year we had any money to pay our bills. Yes, “I’ll pay you after harvest,” was a real thing.

We didn’t even think about the Christmas holiday until after Thanksgiving. Let’s face facts. If the harvest was not abundant, Christmas would be slim.

As I think back on my childhood, it is Thanksgiving Day which brings me the biggest smile. We really did all gather around the huge dining room table, filled with the most delicious food you could image. We gave thanks for the harvest, but what I remember most is my mom’s smile as she looked around the room at her huge family. I now know, she was probably exhausted after cooking for days, but at that moment all I knew was how much she loved her family.

As another Thanksgiving approaches without my mom, I feel the sadness of my heart. There is just something about holidays and moms that go hand-in-hand. Once you have lost your mom, nothing is ever the same.

Yet, I am very blessed this year and eager to share those blessings. The one thing I truly learned from my parents is that no matter how little you may have, there is always someone in more need than yourself. I can’t tell you how many times, as a child, I watched my dad take boxes of groceries out of our house and give them to someone in need. Folks, this is what it is all about.

So, this Thanksgiving I wish your family love, joy, hope, and peace... the four most beautiful words in the English language.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Sandra Brand is the editor of the NEA Town Courier and The Osceola Times. She may be reached by phone at 870-763-4461 or 870-563-2615 or by email at brand@osceolatimes.com.