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Southern Oregon Journal: Thanksgiving is the official day of truce Sunday Nov 19, 2017 at 12:01 AM By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune “The holiday associated with Pilgrims and Native Americans has come to symbolize intercultural peace, America’s opportunity for newcomers, and the sanctity of home and family.” —David J. Silverman for the Encyclopedia Britannica website Does anyone else remember that old cartoon where a wolf and a sheepdog begin the day eating breakfast together, then clock into work and start chasing one another, racing over hill and dale (Chip and Dale is a different cartoon) until the work day ends? They try like heck (not Heckle and Jeckle, which are cartoon magpies) to fulfill their presumptive roles and do one another in, until the 5:00 whistle blows, when they call a halt to their schemes and clock out together. If Thanksgiving could be like that and was celebrated say, once a month, like if we clocked out of our grievances with one another, what incremental changes might begin? What would we find to chew on? A turkey leg instead of a tirade? Dressing instead of grousing? Pumpkin pie with whipped cream instead of lemon sorbet? OK, I’ll eat lemon sorbet, but not with pie looking me in the face. My point is, Thanksgiving Day is that official deep breath between Halloween and Christmas with few greed-fed encumbrances. The soul of Thanksgiving burrows down and retrieves the peaceable, make-love-not-war side of ourselves. It is the much-needed break from suffocating consumerism. We turn our eyes around at all we have that’s really good, rather than what’s wrong with our world and what more we can cram into our stockings. We share (and stuff) our three-dimensional faces and speak living, breathing words with one another in place of flat screens. The Pilgrims and Wampanoag laid down musket and bow after using them to provide for days of feasting and friendship. There were squabbles and worse years later, but precedent was served, a side dish with the venison and geese that first time. There must have been much hand gesturing and smiling going on, without a common language. Did they watch one another’s kids play together? They had no clue how popular their humble spread would become. Thanksgiving has been celebrated since their landing, then individually from state to state with certain rival factions using it to promote political views and ideologies. But President Lincoln, at the urging of Sarah Josepha Hale, editor for Godey’s Lady’s Book, proclaimed an official national day of giving thanks 200 years after the first potluck with the new Colonists and Native Americans. It was 1863 and smack in the middle of a Civil War. It’s hard to believe another year on the timeline has passed, but this Thursday, many of us will gather again with loved ones — friends and family for whom we are most grateful most of the time. Our family gathering will be without a dear one this time, but will add a potential joiner to the clan. I had to go to YouTube and watch the whole cartoon that started this article. It was called "Woolen Under Where," starring Ralph Wolf and Sam Sheepdog. Toward the end, Ralph positions a giant arsenal of rockets and grenade launchers at Sam’s back. The whistle blows, and Sam and Ralph call truce for another day. It ends with Ralph saying, “Nice day, huh, Sam?” “Yep. Good to be alive,” Sam replies. They walk off together into the sunset. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. — Peggy Dover is a freelance writer living in Eagle Point. Email her at [email protected] and arrange to send leftover stuffing.