It is hard to believe that we've already reached the month of November. The past several years have been historic in so many ways, and historic seasons have a way of flying by. As Woodstock makes its way into autumn in earnest, we'll join the nation this month in pausing to give thanks. It's a tradition so ingrained in American culture that we (ironically) often take for granted our intentional time for gratitude.
Dedicated days of thanksgiving date back to English tradition and were marked with religious services, thankfulness to God, and celebrations of bountiful harvests. On our continent, the tradition dates to the early 1600s in Plymouth.
More than a century later, during his service as commander in chief of the Continental Army, General George Washington frequently declared days of thanksgiving among the troops. He continued his commitment to the practice as our nation's first president by issuing a proclamation, declaring the first National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789. After President Washington's tenure ended, the tradition was sporadic until President Abraham Lincoln established it as a national holiday during the Civil War.
Every year since then, our people have marked a day as a time to pause and remember the blessings of providence for America and in each of our lives. We join with family and friends. We eat foods indigenous to our continent (turkey, corn, potatoes). We share stories, and we come together for one day to celebrate one unified national identity.
Thanksgiving Day permeates the month of November, and it serves as a great reminder of the inherent blessings that come with being an American and unites us with previous generations that endured struggle and hardship to ensure we were able to inherit this Great American Experiment.
While we pause this year, I am calling on Woodstock citizens to remember the great heritage that we each claim as Americans. As our Declaration of Independence tells us, "with a firm reliance on Divine Providence," our forefathers pledged to one another their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. Our Constitution tells us that they did so to "secure the blessings of liberty to…our Posterity."
During this time of thanks and every day forward, we must remember that far more unites us than divides us. Our forefathers' commitment to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all remains the calling of our time. It is up to each of us to secure it for the next generation.
My family and I remain forever thankful for each of you and for the honor of serving this incredible city. Thank you, and Happy Thanksgiving!