The most famous recorded Thanksgiving took place in 1621. This ‘festival’, which lasted three days, included the participation of nearly one hundred Native Americans. Governor William Bradford had invited the natives to show them appreciation, for helping his colony survive through the harsh weather conditions. Long before the Europeans celerbated Thanksgiving the Cherokee people held harvest festivals, and corn dances. Thanksgiving stands as a holiday to look at life with gratitude. It is a time to celebrate with family and friends.
The Oakland house held its 3rd annual community Thanksgiving this past Saturday. 35 beautiful faces surrounded the banquet table. 5 children under the age of 5. 9 people under the age of 18, and 21 people over the age of 18. Each person that sat around the table has a story. While our Thanksgiving may not go down in the history books as famous, it truly is a time to acknowledge the amazing relationships in our lives.
One of the members of the Oakland house had her three high school girls set the table with white table cloths, name cards for each guest, and place settings. Two neighborhood high school boys acted as waiters, taking orders for juice or milk. One of our neighbors made her famous macaroni and cheese. Another guest from Lithuania, had never made sweet potatoes and one boy in attendance said they were better than his Mama's!
Life was shared, bellies were filled, and laughter permeated the air. As people sat around the banquet table, something beautiful, and sacred occured. It was a true Thanksgiving.
Thanks again to YouthWorks! for helping us make this meal happen.
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