I've started to notice a few memes being passed around and blog projects starting up for the celebration of Thanksgiving.  Some folks are saying oh how horrible the shops are for having people work on Thanksgiving, it should be about family.

Image Source - HLN - Facebook

Our modern tradition is based on harvest meal that took place in the 1600's in Plymouth Massachusetts.  The documentation on this meal is limited.  The holiday was created on the last Thursday of November by the federal government in 1941.

So why is it that we get all fired upset about working on Thanksgiving but yet demand that Columbus day be renamed to honor the Native Americans?  Why do we see one as racism and the other as not?

Glen Ford wrote the following regarding the American Thanksgiving: (link)

William Bradford, the former Governor of Plymouth and one of the chroniclers of the 1621 feast, was also on hand for the great massacre of 1637:
“Those that escaped the fire were slain with the sword; some hewed to pieces, others run through with their rapiers, so that they were quickly dispatched and very few escaped. It was conceived they thus destroyed about 400 at this time. It was a fearful sight to see them thus frying in the fire…horrible was the stink and scent thereof, but the victory seemed a sweet sacrifice, and they gave the prayers thereof to God, who had wrought so wonderfully for them, thus to enclose their enemies in their hands, and give them so speedy a victory over so proud and insulting an enemy.”

While I have had some nasty family dinners, no one ended up run through with a sword.  So now, let's think about these projects where you spend X number of days writing about being thankful for things.  First let me state that I think it is a fantastic idea to be thankful. Everyday I wake up and thanks the earth for being under my feet and the sky above.  I thank the birds of the trees and all the wonderful things that I have in my life.  I don't however, feel obligated to do this.  I do this automatically.  I don't need a month or a holiday to make it happen.

I think instinctively I avoid taking part in these things because I do not condone what happened to the native people who lived on this island before Europeans came here and destroyed their culture.  Our ancestors tried to conquer a people and when they could not enslave them, they killed them.  Plain and simple.  There is no honor there.  Celebrating this month as some sort of holy month for those to be thankful of all things fall is a bit of a misnomer.

Especially since the majority of those reverent US citizens will celebrate Thanksgiving in the following manner:


While getting set to schedule your blog posts or share your wonderful Thanksgiving messages, I only ask that you actually do a little research on the holiday.  Be sure to fully understand what you're celebrating.  And remember, you don't need to have a special month or day to be thankful for what you have.  You can do that anytime.

Sosanna



LINKS

Thanksgiving from a Native Standpoint
The First Thanksgiving - Lies My Teacher Told Me 
Thanksgiving - A National Day of Mourning
Thanksgiving

Long time no sparkle eh?

No not really. I've been having a pretty active set of days since Thanksgiving. I've found a pattern to some of my manias. Many of the occur between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. As with many others the holidays are not easy times for me. Much of my time is spent speeding around the house.

I spend this time working. Working and more working. If I actually took time off during these two month's I'd probably go completely whack-a-doodle. I remember as a kid being at home the week before Christmas. My Stepfather played music in a country band. Most of the time we were left home with me babysitting my sisters. My mother would go to the bar with him and tell us to "be good" and you know how that goes. On one of these baby sitting trips I ended up walking with my two little sisters to the mall, my youngest at the time was about 7. She ended up breaking her arm as we ran down the rail road tracks to the Mall. Not the best example, but then I was only 11 or 12 years old.

However, that's not really the point of this story, Christmas, yes that's the point. Today I don't have a Christmas tree in my house. Because year after year after year my step father could get drunk and tear it down.

I remember being awoke by his screaming and yelling or him dragging me out of bed and standing me in front of the tree calling me "whore" or "slut". He was an awful awful man. He was physically, emotionally and sexually abusive to me from age 5 until I ran away from home at 15. It didn't matter the month, if it was Friday or Saturday and his drunk ass was at home, we got bitched at. Years ago my Christmas tree fell over in my house and I nearly had a nervous breakdown. From that day forward no more trees.

We drive to my grandmother's for Christmas dinner, yelling and cussing in the car the entire way was my horrible step father. As we pulled up in the drive way we were warned to keep our mouths shut or we'd "GET IT". Then out of the car he'd pop out smiling, my mother by his side acting as if nothing had happened. The exact same scene played at Thanksgiving, minus the Christmas tree battle.

This year was the first year that hubby had to work so I was at grandma's with my Mother alone, on both days. I did have an Aunt there that helped keep me sane, however on New Year's Day, it was just me. Just me there with my mom, who by all accounts is a complete nut job that at times I think cannot even remember who I am. She grunted at me and when I tried to speak to her, jumped at me a bit much like Christmas and Thanksgiving.

I stayed a grand total of 20 minutes before I was out the door. Just couldn't take it. I battled the entire drive home to avoid all the fast food joints and junk food I could just to make it home to hide. At least I didn't binge, that's all I kept saying.

Today it seems a lifetime ago even though it was only a few days. I share my mother with 3 other siblings however I was the only one there that day. The only one that speaks to me had to work so I had to face those demons alone and failed miserably. My mind has been racing, I've barely slept and been going going going since then.

I know it's going to be slowing down soon. I have to embrace it, stop fighting it. Become one with the Sparkle. Understand that the sparkle is there to protect me. It keeps me from those that would hurt me and helps me know that I can do anything. (with in reason) I embrace the sparkle but keep my feet on the ground. I'm very proud of myself for keeping it together. I've even thought up several new crafts I want to work on for the Etsy Shop and come up with three or four great ideas for work.

This is when they come to me. I get so creative during this time. My energies flow and the ideas just come and come. Sometimes I wish I could stay here forever. But I know it makes those around me a bit crazy to deal with the go go go go .....

I'm hoping for some slow down soon.. maybe before my birthday... yea... maybe ...



Embrace the Sparkle
Namaste & Blessed Be
Sosanna

To me, Thanksgiving around the United States has come to mean two things. One, shopping and two overeating.

Each year the "Black Friday" sales start earlier and earlier. These stores that are open for your shopping pleasure have to be managed and staffed by someone right? Who is that? Those are usually lower income workers who now have to work instead of spending this time with their families. A complete symbol of gluttony, this day is spent running from store to store buying buying buying and in some instances even "fight" over goods.

A simple search on youtube will give you tons of hits on Black Friday Fights



This year the holiday literally was here in no time. Usually I see boxes in grocery stores and collections areas to collect food for needy families around Thanksgiving. This year, I missed them all. I didn't see any boxes for collections. Perhaps I just missed them, but the only place that I found collecting food this year was at Truely Unique in Wilson, N.C.




This year more than ever there are so many in need. This economy has been hard for us all. Locate your local food bank. Donate some non perishable foods to this group responsible for feeding the hungry through out the entire year, not just around the holidays. Buying a few extra items while they're on sale and collecting them in a box and then donating them will not add a great deal to your bill and may be the only meal a family receives. I come from a family who received the surplus cheese and butter so I know first hand what it is like to not have enough food to eat. Giving back to your community is a great way to send out positive energy and provide for others in need.


I also encourage others to educate themselves on the true history of Thanksgiving. There are so many stories out there most centering around Native Americans sharing a harvest with the Pilgrims. Yes, there was shared food, however it was the Native tribe that did most of the sharing, see the colony that lived here was on the brink of death and would have died had it not been for Squanto. About 10 years before the Pilgrims landed in the "New World" Squanto was captured in what is now Massachusetts and sold to a Spanish monk who taught him Christianity and English. Eventually he made his way to England where he worked as a stable hand until he was able to get passage back to America.

In 1618, ten years later Squanto learned his tribe had been killed by small pox. While living with the Wampanoag he met the Pilgrims. Squanto taught them to fish and farm. Even after being enslaved and having is people destroyed he continued to give to others.

As we sit down to enjoy our Thanksgiving meals I hope that each one of us can reflect on the gift that Squanto gave the settlers. Think of how even after his treatment he continued to give out positives to the new arrivals. Think of the changes in the world today from Squanto's world. Think about what we as a people to give back to our world if we all sent out a bit of positive energy from ourselves to the world around us.


Sending light, love and peace to a battered nation and to hopefully a forgiving people.

Namaste & Blessed Be
Sosanna
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