Time has passed quickly since our American Thanksgiving holiday. All of the hullabaloo has settled down, there is now time to reflect. At our family’s table this year we touched lightly on the question of gratitude, directing most of our table talk to catching up with each other and assessing the future as they see it at home, in the country and world wide.
During my quiet moments since then, I found myself reflecting on the many years of family celebrations and our children and grandchildren as they grew and developed. How clearly I remember their responses to the query, what are you thankful on this day? The answers in their very early years mentioned material goods, family members, the love of family, pets, and friends. certainly descent responses for young toddlers. As they grew up the responses around the table became more mature, farther reaching and confident. I wondered what current trends around other tables would be in these days of fast-paced schedules, the world at our finger tips and easy access to internet connected devices. I was not disappointed. The answers indicate growing awareness of children concerning world events, the issues surrounding environmental concerns, leadership and governance world wide.
With Google under my finger tips, I searched for “what children are thankful for on Thanksgiving?” The result?…About 2,780,000 results
Some examples;
