Thanksgiving Greetings from the Modern Day Pilgrim

 

by Maria (Ehma) Porpio

Let us vicariously travel back in time during the 16th century when the pilgrims first celebrated Thanksgiving...

"It has been written that the first winter was devastating to the Pilgrims. The cold, snow and sleet was exceptionally heavy, interfering with the workers as they tried to construct their settlement. Then there was this Indian native named Squanto whose importance to the Pilgrims was enormous and it can be said that they would not have survived without his help. It was Squanto who taught the Pilgrims how to tap the maple trees for sap. He taught them which plants were poisonous and which had medicinal powers. He taught them how to plant the Indian corn by heaping the earth into low mounds with several seeds and fish in each mound. The decaying fish fertilized the corn. He also taught them to plant other crops with the corn.

The Pilgrims had much to celebrate, they had built homes in the wilderness, they had raised enough crops to keep them alive during the long coming winter, they were at peace with their Indian neighbors. They had beaten the odds and it was time to celebrate."

I had many Squantos in my life as an immigrant, a modern day pilgrim who endures the humble beginnings in this foreign land. And I never cease to praise our God for them every Thanksgiving...

There are my cousins and friends who adopted me to live with them and raised them as their own. They are the ones who put up with my immaturity and lack of better judgement. Without them, I would probably have died not like the lucky less than 50 pilgrims who survived the winter.

There's my ex-boyfriend then, now my husband who waited lengthy excruciating years to endure a long distance relationship. I lived through the cold winter nights with phone cards by my side as I was able to listen to his voice (the advent of Skype was still an impossibility then). Although uncertain about our future but for that moment, his promises kept me warm and company. 

During those moments, I have never given up hope. I have never let go of my faith in God. Those were in fact, the times when I felt Him closer to me than ever. 

For the million things to thank for, it would probably take a book to write not merely a half of everything. But most of it all, I thank God for breaking me so He can make me new again...

Happy Thanksgiving everyone... Don't forget to thank your Squantos!