Happy Thanksgiving : a Day for Families

All across the United States, Americans will be traveling far and wide to visit their families and loved ones to spend Thanksgiving Day, our unique, national holiday that celebrates nothing in particular.

But that is the beauty of Thanksgiving. We feel no compulsion to do anything (unless we have to do the cooking!) or be anywhere (other than in the cozy confines of our homes). No stores are open, no shopping is to be done, and relaxing and eating is the only order of the day. Certainly, for those of us fortunate enough to have some place to go for the holiday, a Thanksgiving celebration necessarily is all about the food, a demonstration of the bounty that still makes America the richest nation in the world.

But Thanksgiving symbolizes much more than stuffing ourselves like big turkeys. It’s a day for all of us to give thanks that we live in a place where bombs are not dropping on us, where our families are not living in fear of being terrorized, and where we enjoy unparalleled freedom of thought and expression.

Even beyond that, it’s a day to give thanks for the personal intangibles of families, friends, and neighbors that make life worth living.

We wish a Happy Thanksgiving to all of our readers.