Be Thankful For All We Have

It’s that time when we sit with family and friends and partake in the first holiday celebration of this special season that we all look forward to each year. Some of us will enjoy a great meal with those closest to us and maybe watch a little football or indulge in a glut of Christmas movies and make some promises we will take off those “holiday pounds” after the first of the year.

The journey made in 1620 on the Mayflower was nothing like the cruising we do today. Those 102 passengers and crew were in for quite a ride, as they spent two months or more on the Atlantic Ocean after leaving Plymouth, England before landing on the coast of what is now Massachusetts, instead of the intended destination at the mouth of the Hudson River in New York.

There was no ship’s bursar to complain to about their cabin or any other matter regarding their accommodations. No kids were playing “Marco Polo” in the ship's pool, driving everyone crazy, while the food was less than palatable to our tastes today. In fact many would have a hard time keeping anything down due to the rough seas.

Exposure and scurvy were commonplace, and by the time the first winter passed nearly half of those passengers and crew had succumbed to either the effects of the trip or the exposure to the harsh first winter in the new land.

In fact it wasn’t until later in our history that the holiday of Thanksgiving was officially proclaimed, and it was President Roosevelt that changed the date to help stimulate the economy due to the Great Depression and moved it up a week to help create additional sales and fuel a lagging economy. Yes, it was capitalism at its best.

We unfortunately tend to forget the history of where we have come from and lose focus on what is really important about these holidays that we tend to take for granted. I wonder how many families will take the time to ask each other what they are thankful for and why it is important to them.

We all need to take a moment this weekend to ask ourselves that simple question. Hopefully, it won’t result in reflections about material things we’ve acquired during the last year or the order we’ve placed for a new car or an upcoming trip or cruise.

Those of us that live here in Southwest Florida should be very thankful for being alive, after escaping the wrath of Ian. Some of us lost docks, boats and the wonderful landscaping we’ve worked so hard to create over the years. Others, like many of our friends on Isle of Capri or elsewhere, lost everything they own and have been dealing with the most catastrophic event of their lifetimes.

We did suffer some damage here on Marco, however our neighbors and friends just off the island in Goodland, Everglades City, East Naples and other areas suffered a much greater loss than we did. 

The storm brought out the best in us and also revealed a dark side of human nature as some would seek to benefit from the plight of those who are hurting. Law enforcement continues to caution residents to be careful in their dealings with contractors who may seek to take advantage of those most in need.

I was disheartened to hear some complain about being inconvenienced due to a lack of cable or phone service for a week or more while just north of here in Ft. Myers Beach, others were without a roof over their heads, four walls to hang a phone or even provide a spot to hang a television. We sometimes tend to lose a true perspective of the reality of a situation when emotions roll over us.

That disappointment was overcome by the realization of the good that was being done out in the community. Our first responders, local charities and dedicated individuals would rise to the occasion and put their needs to one side and focus on assisting those in need of a helping hand or just a sympathetic ear, allowing them to vent without fear of being judged.

Yes, Thanksgiving in 2022 should be focused on taking stock in how fortunate we were and the continued need of those not as fortunate. As a community and a nation we know what it takes to recover from tragedies, whether they be catastrophic incidents which are man made or from those terrible occurrences of Mother Nature.

Remember your families during this time of reflection and be thankful for the simple things in life. Be thankful for those unique bonds of family which tie us together with our parents, spouses, children and other extended family members. For the great gift of friendship which we share with others. A gift that no value can be attached to.

I wish you all the best as we enter this wonderful time of the year. This, a time of year where we need to be thankful and extend ourselves to those not as fortunate and to those that stand the watch as first responders, military personnel and those that will provide for us during these difficult times and say a prayer for those 114 lives lost during Hurricane Ian.