To be thankful this holiday season

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A WORD FROM THE MAYOR 

The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620. Times were somewhat rough for them and a year later in the fall of 1621, 90 local Indians showed up and brought various species of game and fish to the 50 serving Pilgrims. For three days they celebrated eating, drinking and being merry. This was the first recorded Thanksgiving in the New World. After the states were established as a nation, the US Congress in 1798 left setting the date of Thanksgiving up to the individual states. The next change was when President Lincoln made an official national declaration that October 3, 1863 would be a national day of Thanksgiving.   Every president following Lincoln made their own proclamation for the date and it was not until 1942 that President Roosevelt issue the final proclamation making the official day of Thanksgiving for the nation to be the 4^th Thursday in November, and it has been that ever sense. 

So what is it to be thankful and to whom are we thankful? Why are we thankful? I know most of us that are parents, followed in the tradition of our parents and taught our young children to say ‘thank you’.   The act of being thankful, truly thankful is a powerful trait in our daily lives and it’s good to learn that early. It’s a matter of perspective. My Dad used to highlight that in his saying about optimists and pessimists. “Twixt optimists and pessimists the difference is droll, one sees the donut the other sees the hole.” It is the difference of having a positive outlook verses a negative outlook, how we see and react to things and how others see us.

The Bible lists so many verses about being thankful and giving thanks it would be hard to count them all.   But two standouts are Philippians 4:6 and 1 Thessalonians 5:18, in everything give thanks…That’s a pretty tall order, not sure what there is be to thankful for regarding mosquitoes, as an example, but I suppose I can be thankful they are not as big as buzzards. 

I’m very thankful for the city of Pearsall and all it provides. I’m thankful for the city manager and city staff, for the department heads, for all those that work there, for those that are on call 24/7 to meet emergencies and provide the services that make life so convenient. Grateful for our law enforcement and first responders, grateful for our local hospital, grateful for a grocery store that is well stocked with food, grateful for power to light, cool and heat my home. Grateful for a lot of really good people that call Pearsall home. I am also grateful for the opportunity to serve the city as mayor. It has been an eye opening and learning experience and things I perhaps took for granted before, I no longer will. A lot of human effort is necessary to make things work, and although we can always do better, I’m appreciative of the commitment I see in our city and our staff. So in honor of the season and the quest to live life to the fullest, I’m going to endeavor to be grateful and thankful…for everything, for indeed we are blessed.

Happy Thanksgiving

Ben T. Briscoe

Mayor of Pearsall