Occasionally, Thanksgiving falls on November 22. Though I have a lot to be thankful for and look forward to turkey, dressing and cranberry sauce as much as anybody, November 22 is always a very reflective day for me. It was one of the most emotional days of my life some 44 years ago. It was on that day that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.
That day was just two days after his brother Robert's 38th birthday. JFK's funeral was held on JFK, Jr.'s birthday. Junior's famous salute to his father's passing casket was burned into the psyche of the time on that day. I had shaken President Kennedy's hand and photographed him during his visit to Tampa just four days before he was killed. It seemed like so much, good and bad, happened to the Kennedys toward the end of November.
Enough for November. I try every year to have the best time I can on Thanksgiving. I don't get home cooking a whole lot so it's one day I let myself be consumed in a culinary way at the expense of friends kind enough to invite me over. However, when Thanksgiving is on November 22 my thoughts often pause and wonder just how tough this time was...or still is...for the Kennedy family - a family that sustained so much pain and loss around this time.
I hope there will be joy flowing to the Kennedys this year and to all other persons in our country. With people losing their jobs, having their homes foreclosed on, having to decide between buying gasoline or medicine, etc., I know I have a whole lot to be thankful for no matter what my circumstances.
It wouldn't be right for me to omit our military people overseas from my thoughts. They're having to spend Thanksgiving far away from their families and in very close proximity to bombs and artillery that could end their lives at any time. Their Thanksgiving is at the end of each day they remain alive.
Somehow, it seems like what many others are going through makes my troubles trivial and should enrich my holiday knowing there are so many people more broke, more lonely, more endangered and just plain worse off than me. I think I'd like to give them all my Thanksgiving pass and just have a nice meal today and return to my Weight Watcher's meetings next week.
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