And one more thing........My family wa just like many others in that while they knew little about the history or present day problems, what they, and I, do associate with this day is right in the name. We all took some time to be thankful for what we had and the world we knew. We were never rich in money but we put were rich in family and the love we had for each other.

I now have my own family and my "adopted" family but my biological family are all deceased. I am still thankful in every way that I had some time, albeit short, with all of them. By the time I was 24 I had only a few cousins that I rarely saw but I had the memories of all my parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles, that enriched my life. All these years later those memories overflow my heart and make me so thankful for what I had and what they gave me. I'm thankful to have been lucky enough to marry Karen who turned out to be my best friend. And I'm thankful for my 2 fine sons who have matured to manhood and continue to surprise me every day, each in their own way.

So take the causes and rewrites and what we owe and all that.....Do with it what you must or will, but understand that for a lot of us Thanksgiving is just that simple.....Giving Thanks.


Spaw