Thanksgiving

Today was Thanksgiving 2012. The first official Thanksgiving was established by Abraham Lincoln in 1863. Ever since, we have established certain traditions. Some of our traditions are; eating a feast consisting of turkey, potatoes, stuffing, etc.;  watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, giving thanks, etc. We gorge ourselves on more food in an hour than we should eat in a week. Maybe your kids perform a play acting as pilgrims. Maybe they make little turkeys or place mats for your table. We turn on the football games even if we don't like the game just because that's the tradition. We invite family over or go to family. And if Thanksgiving was any different, maybe we ate a ham instead of a turkey, we would be mad until Christmas. And then, of course, Thanksgiving night Black Friday sales start. At dinner we tell everyone what we are thankful for, and then we turn around and get more stuff!
But you know what? In the same time it takes the mashed potatoes to pass around to you, about 12 children die of hunger. 12! 12 mother's children. Not even 12 people. 12 children! Every minute, about 12 children die of hunger related causes. Do you feel guilty yet? I do! You are groaning because you ate too much, and millions of children are too weak too groan because they haven't eaten in days, maybe weeks. And the last meal they did have might have been a bite of rice mixed with some grass. Or maybe a mud pie. What you ate in one meal could have given probably a dozen children a meal.
I don't want to sound judgmental, because trust me, I gorged myself today! But would you just think about it? Just think. Maybe then you will act. Imagine what could happen if everyone in America gave even a plate of their Thanksgiving 2013 meal away? How many less children would die? Please, think. And pray. Always.
~Michaela