Thousands of Americans will gather together to give thanks for a bountiful harvest and ask the Lord's blessing with their families on Thursday, November 26, 2009.

Oh wait! Wrong!

Thousands of Americans will gather together to stuff themselves with endless food including turkey and pies. Many will be the stores Christmas shopping before the day is over. Like many other holidays, Americans have long ago forgotten the true meaning of Thanksgiving. Remember all those Thanksgiving stories the teachers used to teach about? The stories of Pilgrims and the Indians working together to produce a bountiful harvest?

Refresher

In December of 1620 the first Pilgrims were at Plymouth Rock. After a devastating winter, 46 of the original 102 who sailed on the Mayflower were gone, primarily due to illness. With the help of 91 Indians, the rest of the Pilgrims survived the first year. The harvest of 1621, with the help of the Indians was bountiful bringing the hope that the Pilgrim's dream of a new life in America would be fulfilled. The Pilgrims rejoiced knowing the Indians were responsible for their survival and bountiful harvest and decided to celebrate with a feast. The feast, similar to an English harvest festival, lasted three days.

This is one of the first examples of community service in America, people working together for the better of the mankind, ignoring any prejudices, extending a helping hand. Let there be no mistake, the helping hand came from the Indians.

1676-How quickly things change!

Many years passed before a Thanksgiving celebration was repeated. In June of 1676 another day of Thanksgiving was proclaimed in Charlestown, Massachusetts. June 29 th was the official day of Thanksgiving selected. This time, the reason for the celebration was in part to recognize the colonists' recent victory over the “heathen natives.”

A century later…1777, Forget about the cherry tree!

13 colonies held a Thanksgiving celebration in October of 1777 to celebrate the patriotic victory over the British at Saratoga, a one-time celebration.

The first President of the United States, George Washington, proclaimed a National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789. Many pilgrims opposed this national holiday due to hardships they were enduring at that time.

Introducing the woman behind the Thanksgiving Holiday ...

The efforts of Sarah Josepha Hale, author of the nursery rhyme “Mary had a little lamb, “eventually led to what is now the holiday we know as Thanksgiving Day. Hale, a magazine editor, began a campaign to create a National Day of Thanks writing to governors and presidents. In 1863, Sarah's occupation with a National Day of Thanks became a reality when President Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as a national day of Thanksgiving. Sarah's dedication is an excellent example of how people did make a difference and how people and the media can make a difference.

How will you spend Thanksgiving 2009?

Many homeless people in our country will receive a nice Thanksgiving dinner at a local community shelter. Most of the people preparing and serving these dinners are volunteers, people like you and me who want to do their part to help the needy people in our communities.

Many families will prepare Thanksgiving dinners donated to them by charitable organizations such as churches and the Salvation Army. Most of the money to pay for these dinners was donated by people like you and me who again want to do their part to help people less fortunate than themselves.

The true spirit of the reason for the first Thanksgiving Celebration still exists in the American people.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving 2009, let us truly be thankful for the blessings we have and make a vow to make the changes happen that we need in our country.

Let us not forget the thousands and thousands of American men and women serving our country who will have their Thanksgiving dinner in a places far from home, and away from their families defending our country and serving to preserve what we now still have ... the freedom and power to change things.

Though our country is in an almost tragic state of affairs, let us be thankful that we still do have the power to change it and let's change it before we lose that power.

If you're thankful that you are financially stable and able to help the homeless, remember the homeless and less fortunate people need help every day not just on Holidays. Let us not just help the homeless and unfortunate people in the United States only on Thanksgiving, let us start a campaign to our government to help them every day.

If you're thankful for your job, think about your neighbor who lost his job. Will he survive? Will his family have enough to eat? Does his son need a winter coat? Will his family lose their home? Let us begin a real campaign to bring the jobs back to America where they belong and keep them here.

If you're thankful for your health, think about those who are not and those who are one doctor's visit away from being healthier. Campaign for medical assistance for those who cannot afford it, but make sure your senators and congressmen are making the right decisions about any health bill they pass. We want decisions to be made which they would consider good enough for their own families.

Let us not accept things as “just the way it is”; instead, let us work to change them. With a little work and effort, we can make the right things happen. We can have more “bountiful harvests” in the United States, we can have a more stable economy, we can have enough jobs for everyone, we can have medical care, we can reduce the countless numbers of America's homeless, we can reduce crime, and we can make a better American communities if we work together.

We can do it! United we stand!