Often when we think of Thanksgiving we often think of a Norman Rockwell painting, of the family, three generations, sitting around the dining table with the grandmother bringing in the turkey. The table filled with all the trimmings. It is entitled “Freedom from Want.” The painting was created over 80 years ago, before our entry into WW ll. Its title comes from a speech by President Franklin Roosevelt.
We have come a long way in those eight decades. Although many in America experienced ‘Freedom from Want” in those pre war years, most of those living on earth did experience want. They were poor, hungry, many sick, and without housing. Nearly 90% of the world’s population lived this way.
Today, even thought global population has grown seven fold, the number living in extreme poverty has shrunk to around 10%. For that we can be thankful.
For those of us fortunate enough to live in first world countries, we can also be thankful for tremendous advances in medicine. An example might be repair of faulty heart valves. A century ago such a diagnosis was most likely a death sentence. Today, an outpatient procedure. There are many such examples. For that we can be thankful.
Although headlines may cause one to think differently, we are living in a time of relative peace, longer than any time in recorded history. For that we can be thankful.
Take a walk through Target, Costco, Sam’s Club, or your local supermarket and you see the abundance by which we are blessed. For that we can be thankful.
If Norman Rockwell had painted “Freedom from Want” today, the picture would have been different. The folks sitting around that table would have been black, native, white, Hispanic, Asian, gay, and a wonderful mixture of all. For that we can be thankful.
Don’t get me wrong. Life isn’t perfect. However, it gets better every day.
Take a minute between games this Thursday and consider how much better life is than it was. Spend this long weekend contemplating the reality of your life. Be Thankful. Rest, recharge, and prepare for the life to come. It wlll be wonderful. And for that we can truly be thankful.
And remember to thank the good Lord, in you own way. The tools we use to get where we are didn’t just magically appear.
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at PT.
JVH
