Bob McClure
Just be thankful
By BOB MCCLURE
| Article published on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009 |
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In this time of tough economic hardships, it’s often difficult for us to appreciate the many blessings we have.
For most of us, we’ll spend Thanksgiving with our families and enjoy the camaraderie only a family unit can deliver.
For others, the day will be much different. As you dig into that tasty butterball turkey, take a moment to reflect on the freedom we enjoy in this fine country and the outstanding young men and women in the military who make it possible.
Take a second or two to say thanks to the men and women who will spend the day in the sandy deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan, as opposed to being at home with their own families.
Also say thanks to the men and women who have already served our nation.
Each year at this time, American Legion Post 252 in Seminole addresses this idea by hosting a Thanksgiving dinner for more than 200 patients from Bay Pines VA Medical Center.
It’s one of the more noble efforts in the area each year and takes a level of planning most of us have never experienced. Legion members begin roasting and deep-frying about 45 turkeys two days before.
The dinner is the organization’s biggest event of the year and involves 30 to 40 volunteers helping with the preparation and serving.
As veterans begin arriving, some will be on gurneys and eat while on stretchers, with volunteers assigned individually to take care of their needs.
If ever there were hometown heroes, it’s this group of Legion volunteers.
This comes in stark contrast to that initial Thanksgiving feast in 1621.
Could the pilgrims have ever imagined what the day would develop into? Could they have ever envisioned the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions being the Thanksgiving staple they are today?
I recall as a youngster waking to the aroma of a large turkey roasting in our kitchen oven. It wasn’t unusual for my mother and sisters to begin working on the feast early in the morning in preparation of 12 to 14 relatives for dinner.
The fellowship, laughs and general good times are things that will stay embedded in my mind forever.
My dad and I, along with others, stayed glued to the television as the meal was prepared and my dad usually got the honor of carving the turkey – a true art that I learned in years to come.
After dinner and usually a very tasty dessert, it was time for a walk – usually a fairly long walk.
That was followed quite often by throwing a football around outside before dashing inside for the second NFL game of the day.
Then, perhaps after a good nap, we often enjoyed more food or maybe a delicious turkey sandwich.
It was a day of traditional family fun and networking that’s as American as apple pie.
Hopefully, the tradition will never change. And hopefully we will always remember to be thankful.
Bob McClure is editor of the Seminole Beacon.
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Article published on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009
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