Thanksgiving, a time to reflect on our blessings

Thanksgiving has arrived. It’s a time to enjoy family and friends and to take at least a few moments to give thanks about how fortunate we Americans are to live in this land of abundance and liberty.

Thanksgiving commemorates the Pilgrims first harvest in America in 1621. There were numerous Thanksgiving celebrations in early American history, including one proclaimed by George Washington to celebrate the victory over the British at Saratoga during the Revolutionary War. The modern holiday was proclaimed by President Lincoln in 1863.

We Americans have a great deal to be thankful for. We live in a nation founded on the notion that all men are created equal, with God given freedoms that are inviolate.

Today the world surrounding us seems to be descending into chaos. Though violence, terror and disease are sweeping vast areas of the globe, at least here at home we remain confident that we are safe, free and secure, our rights enshrined in a Constitution based on individual liberty, secured by a military second to none. Here in the United States, the rule of law is sacred, government powers are limited and our leaders should serve the people, not the other way around.

During this holiday season, we should remember the blessings bestowed upon us as by our Creator as free human beings. Whatever our beliefs, we should be thankful for our families, our homes, our liberties and those willing to put their lives on the line to protect all of us.