Thanksgiving Blessings

What would a Community Garden be without a harvest feast, where friends and family gather and give thanks? Our recent gathering has been for November work days, but most of us will be enjoying a garden gift at our table tomorrow. Part of our mission statement is that we "connect people to heritage." What is heritage? Think of your Thanksgiving Day, especially the dinner. Think of what makes the experience right. Is it a tradition, the food, particular people? Is it a pastime, prayer, story or song? I've heard that we take our culture for granted until it's missing. Then we notice. American food culture is somewhat of an oxymoron, except at Thanksgiving. Here's some food for thought. A  woman displaced by a hurricane whose Thanksgiving dinner--bought and baked by volunteers--was ruined by cranberries in the stuffing. An NPR commentator who refused Alton Brown's advice to not baste the turkey (skin repels juices, oven temperature goes down = longer time in the oven = dry bird). Even I discovered that dry stuffing disrupted my Thanksgiving observance one year. Certainly cranberries, basting, and dry stuffing are mere trifles when we consider our enormous blessings: home, friends, family, health, country, religion, food, and nature to name a few. Still, if you notice what makes your traditions, your holidays, your get-togethers feel right, you'll begin to appreciate your culture. And when you ask who made these gifts possible, who tilled, who planted the seeds for your rich harvest, there you will find your heritage. To whom all thanks belongs.