Letter from the President November 2020
“Giving Thanks in Covid-19”
Dear Reader,
At Thanksgiving several years ago our youngest son, Patrick, had just piled his plate with turkey,
dressing, and all the trimmings – corn on the cob, green beans, squash casserole, sweet potatoes,
cranberry sauce, bread rolls, and pumpkin pie. Patrick’s face was aglow as he took his seat at the dinner
table and exclaimed, “Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.” I think he is right, for most Americans,
Thanksgiving is our favorite holiday. Thanksgiving is a beloved holiday for eating turkey, spending time
with family and friends, and maybe attending a football game afterwards.
But, what about with COVID-19 in the air?
Indeed, Thanksgiving can also be painful. For indigenous peoples, Thanksgiving may be a reminder of a
contentious history that goes far beyond when the first feast was held. And, for those who have lost a
loved one recently, this Thanksgiving won’t be the same. The longing to be together this Thanksgiving
may not be met, with social distancing and quarantine.
The center piece of this special day, held on the fourth Thursday of November, is a meal – not the
sharing of gifts or packages, and not the remembrance of wars gone by. The fourth Thursday of
November is intended to remind every American of the “First Thanksgiving.”
When I was young, the Thanksgiving story was retold every year and enacted by children dressed in
early American settler and indigenous native costumes on school stages to their parents delight. And,
with readings they told the story, more mythic perhaps than real, but nevertheless carrying the spirit of
our nation’s early beginnings.
The First Thanksgiving is said to have taken place in October of 1621 when 56 Pilgrim settlers celebrated
their first harvest with a three-day meal that was shared with 90 Native Americans who had taught the
settlers how to plant corn (see painting below by Jennie A. Brownscomb).
This was a joy-filled occasion for the Pilgrims, who had made a hazardous voyage to America aboard the
Mayflower, and settled the Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts, in 1620. It was also a time to give heartfelt
thanks to God for their lifesaving first harvest.
When other settlers heard about the Pilgrim’s harvest meal, they too began having thanksgiving
celebrations in their own villages. A fall Thanksgiving became a national tradition in 1789 when a
proclamation was enacted by President George Washington. In 1942, by an act of Congress Thanksgiving
Day became a permanent observance to be held on the fourth Thursday in November each year.
But, this year, the annual 2020 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade had to be cancelled because of COVID-
19 and will be replaced by a virtual event. New York City major Bill de Blasio said, “They’re reinventing
the event and it will be something that really gives us the warmth and that great feeling we have on
Thanksgiving Day.”
In cities and towns all across America members of religious and faith-based organizations usually share a
Thanksgiving meal with the homeless and those who otherwise would go without. There is always a
moment when everyone stops, and a prayer is offered to give thanks to God. But, will the coronavirus
usurp meals for the homeless?
For those who have lost loved ones due to COVID-19, this Thanksgiving may not be a day of joy, instead,
a day of mourning. The empty seat at the table will be painful. For my own family, our large annual
gathering has been cancelled, waiting for a safer year.
This Thanksgiving, I pray we remember those who are suffering the loss of a loved one, and consider
making a contribution to those organizations that share Thanksgiving Day with those who otherwise
would have none. Finally, a word of comfort from 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.
"Blessed be the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort
those who are in any trouble by the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."
John K. Graham, MD, DMin
President & CEO
Institute for Spirituality and Health