Thanksgiving

I didn't get to post my Thanksgiving wishes to everyone yesterday like I wanted, but better late than never right?

My family has a tradition of reading Abraham Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1863 every year. Thought I would share it with you:

"The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe had enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. 

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union."

Abraham Lincoln , 1863

Isn't that beautiful? There is always reason to give thanks, even when times are tough. And the sad thing about our world today is that we've forgotten that all of our blessings come from God. He is indeed very merciful and the least we can do is acknowledge Him and follow His commandments.
  
This year, Steve and I gave our thanks with friends. We moved away from tradition and enjoyed eating salmon and prime rib instead of the standard turkey. It was a wonderful meal. We also joined friends for Pie Night (the night before Thanksgiving day). I think it was the start of a new tradition for us Steve made a very yummy banana cream pie and his favorite, pumpkin pie. 
 

We want to thank all of the people in our lives that enrich and inspire us.  We feel so blessed to be where we are, enjoying life everyday. Maybe it's a good thing I'm posting this "a day late". Because really we should be thankful everyday.