Thanksgiving Reflection
I wonder at how we hold the space for this day. On the one hand, it is lovely to set aside a day of and for expressing gratitude. At the same time, we as a society are more than ever fraught with division, if no outright mutual scorn. Thanksgiving Day has its origin as a national holiday from another time of great contention and greater bloodshed. While President Lincoln established the day as a national holiday on Thursday, November 26, 1863, he had issued earlier proclamations. As Heather Cox Richardson points out , these were morale boosters to the northern states but I would add that they served a broader purpose. United in giving thanks can evoke a sense of appreciation for all things given us and this turn enriches our inner lives, if but for a moment. I believe Lincoln and others were aware of this, not the least of whom was Sarah Josepha Hale who lobbied Lincoln for establishing such a day. There is another layer to this day that has its roots in the so-calle...