A Thanksgiving to Remember

Thanksgiving is truly an all American holiday! For some, it’s the all-important holiday of the year to get together with family and celebrate. We celebrate to give thanks for all our blessings. Most of us do that, but not all. For others, it’s all about the big game and eating turkey and fixings until we become Weebles and wobble away from the table to our beds!

This year, as we get ready for Thanksgiving, it may be tougher to celebrate. There are families without homes, a growing number without incomes because of job losses. There is grief because a loved one passed away this year. But perhaps this is the time to celebrate. Despite the doom and gloom we need a celebration to lift us up!

So, let’s celebrate our time together. Kids grow up fast and leave. Life is short. Loved ones aren't here forever. We are healthy. My kids are enjoying their childhood. Still have more stuff than most people in the world! Really people, let’s count our blessings! Think about it! Find reasons to be thankful!

We live in one of the best countries in the world. I am a first-generation immigrant. Our family arrived here in the late '60s. We were a young family and were immediately surrounded by caring, loving Americans, helped a lot by a church family and we assimilated without even knowing it! Yes, there were difficult times but we as a family persevered. Thanks, in part to the kindness of others! Helped by families whose ancestors arrived here many generations ago.

I think back to one of our first Thanksgivings in the small town Osage, Iowa. The Chamber of Commerce there had invited international students from the University of Iowa and paired them up with local families. The international students got a taste of the American way of life. The local families got a glimpse of their world family and it gave them a perspective far beyond the block they lived on. It had a big impact on me as a child. I thought, aren't Americans generous! Aren't Americans kind and hospitable! They want to learn about us and our culture! That's the American I want to be!

As I reflect on the times we live in, it seems we may all need to seek out a glimpse of the world -- a world that's truly becoming smaller and smaller! We have an opportunity to do that this Thanksgiving. Why not reach out to a new family to this country, an immigrant family or a local family in need. Invite them over for a view of the generous and kind America that we all grew up in. Why not share our culture by celebrating Thanksgiving together! It’s not going to solve anything but that’s not the point.

It’s all about giving and sharing and, yes, maybe building bridges. Corny? Trite? Yes. But maybe, just maybe, it would drive home the meaning of thanks and giving.

Did you know that the University of Nebraska at Lincoln has international students from approximately 100 countries around the world? If you would like to host one or two for Thanksgiving, give them a call.

Also contact your church or local organizations such as the Salvation Army, or your local church, synagogue, temple or mosque. They may be able to direct you to a family that would love to share Thanksgiving with you. They don’t have specific programs to link people up but this just might get them thinking about perhaps starting an outreach program: people to people.