Thankful

I’ve heard that more people travel this coming weekend than any other during the year. It’s because this week Thanksgiving will be celebrated in homes across the country.

In spite of the economic downturn, there is much for which we all can be thankful. This is a good time to help children recognize that there can be more than tangibles for which to be grateful; that the ideological foundations of this country continue to resound.

I’m reminded of an older book, Molly’s Pilgrim (opens in a new window) (HarperCollins) which, by the way, has been adapted into an award-winning short film (opens in a new window) of the same title.

It’s about a girl and her parents who leave their native Russia to find religious freedom in the United States. Third grade Molly, however, is teased not only because of her accent but also because the Pilgrim she makes doesn’t look like the more traditional depictions; instead it looks like Molly and her mother.

Religious freedom is something for which we can be grateful — as is the freedom to express these views openly. The First Amendment (opens in a new window) goes even farther by not limiting our ability to speak our minds in terms of religion, but also about just about anything else.

And though not unlimited, these basic freedoms are something about which to be exceedingly appreciative.

Perhaps likening Americans’ freedom to the freedom children experience within a family — both with unique constraints — can help make us a bit more like Molly. Thankful.