I’ve been thinking so much lately about Thanksgiving and the meanings behind it.  When I was young, we learned about the first Thanksgiving – how the Pilgrims moved here, and how the Indians taught them how to farm here, and what animals and plants could be eaten. We were taught that first Thanksgiving was a day of sharing food between the Pilgrims and Indians- the Pilgrims were thankful for their new friends, for their new country, and thankful to God for bringing them through such hard times.

Why is it so hard for us to be so thankful? We as a country have so much to be thankful for.  While we are at war, we are not being attacked on our own soil (at least, not for now).

Our healthcare system isn’t perfect, it’s much better than what many countries have. Even the poorest people in our country have access to basic healthcare.

Our political system isn’t perfect either, but it works pretty well, for the most part. Folks get into leadership positions – and when they don’t do what they say they’ll do, sometimes they get sent back home.

And our economic system isn’t perfect. But I’m glad I live in a place where I can work for what I want, and no one can tell me that there are limits to what I can earn, or what I can buy, if I have the money to do it.

So, I’m thankful to be living where I am.

If you don’t have a reason to be thankful, look around you. If you’ve got a place to live, food to eat and clothes to wear, you have more than most people in the world.

Give thanks in all things!

Yesterday we had Rutledge’s first 4th of July parade. While we only had a few people to come, everyone there had a great time, and we hope to make this an annual event.

We started out with the pledge of allegiance, then everyone lined up behind Mayor Joe Dexter. Randy took his bike to the end of the parade route, and kept traffic from coming into the group, and Jennifer blocked the entrance to the other end of the street.

After we got back to the community center, we spread out blankets under a tree, and while Jennifer poured pink lemonade for everyone, I cut this beautiful cake made for us by the ladies at the Piggly Wiggly.

As I said, we hope to make this an annual event- a very small town in a neighboring county has turned their small-town parade into a large event, usually having at least 200 participants; we may not ever get that big, but I would like to eventually get other towns in the county to participate in some way, and I’d also like to see more of our citizens to come out for it too.

Next year’s route will be a lot longer, Mr. Joe’s dad has said he’d bring his 1947 tractor and wagon along to haul kids, and we’d love to get at least one fire truck in as well.  We may also change the time to later in the afternoon, and cook out hot dogs for everyone too.

Happy Independence Day!

On Wednesday, Aug. 1 2007, I attended my first mission as a PGR member. We honored a fallen PGR member who was also retired Air Force. He was killed riding from one military funeral to another one.

Before we got to the cemetery, I kept thinking ‘I can’t do this’ – since my son and son in law are both serving in the Army, I didn’t know how to handle my feelings. But as I stood on that flag line, sweat running down my back, the sun in my face, gripping the flag pole, trying hard not to cry, suddenly I felt the flag on my left- it brushed my shoulder, and gently caressed my face. The vet who was holding that flag smiled at me and pulled the flag back towards it’s pole. Then they gave the command for us to come to attention – they fired the guns, presented the flags, and the lone rider gunned his engine and rode away, his flag flying.

I could write ten pages, and it would never be enough to tell how that felt – to know I was there honoring someone I didn’t know. The family walking by, saying ‘thank you for being here’ – and all I could say was ‘it’s an honor to be here’…

I’ll never be the same.

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