Close
Current temperature in Boston - 62 °
BECOME A MEMBER
Get access to a personalized news feed, our newsletter and exclusive discounts on everything from shows to local restaurants, All for free.
Already a member? Sign in.
The Bay State Banner
BACK TO TOP
The Bay State Banner
POST AN AD SIGN IN

Trending Articles

Wellness expo brings community support to Roxbury residents

Sarah-Ann Shaw, Boston's reporting legend, 90

Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey honors first African American Master Distiller’s legacy

READ PRINT EDITION

The essence of Thanksgiving

Melvin B. Miller
The essence of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving (Photo: Dan Drew)

Thanksgiving is more than a time for family reunion. It is also a time to give thanks. Many Americans are aspiring, ambitious, aggressive and acquisitive. This is an inappropriate disposition to be truly thankful. They can be exuberantly enthusiastic over a victory, such as the closing of a business deal, but they are insensitive to the subtle blessings that brought them to victory.

Contentment is essential for profound thankfulness. Desire is its nemesis. How can one be truly thankful when so many desires are still unfulfilled? The attainment of unfettered thankfulness is an exalted state. Those with abundant financial resources find it especially difficult to rid the mind of interest in new acquisitions. Only when one’s mind is free of want will Thanksgiving attain its spiritual significance.