WACKY WEDNESDAY WISDOM- Dadgum thankful for Thanksgiving

    "Before you ask your question, tell me something you're thankful for." That's all she was asking. Simple request. And virtually all the reporters at the press briefing complied when White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders made her unusual request a few days before Thanksgiving, which is my favorite holiday, by the way.
     I"m not sure exactly why it outranks Christmas and Easter on my list. Perhaps they seem to be way too commercialized what with all that Santa and Easter Bunny stuff to distract us. Nothing at all against the celebration of the Father sending His Son to be born into a world that desperately needed Him. And also no offense to the celebration of the empty tomb which occurred on the most important day in history. None of their commercialization is the fault of the Father or the Son. That's on us.
     Despite some downtown parades, football, and Turkey sidetracks, Thanksgiving has remained largely about, well . . . thanksgiving. The main characters are still the Pilgrims, and they were certainly all about giving thanks, even inviting the Native Americans in their vicinity to share in the bounty.
     Growing up I always looked forward to the hymns we sang on Thanksgiving such as We Gather Together and Come Ye Thankful People Come. We rarely sang those outside of Thanksgiving so they were a special reminder. They really did it for me then and I enjoy hearing them now. They remind of that Capricorn thing (or is it a Unicorn thing) they decorate the altar of the church with at Thanksgiving. You know, the thing with all the fruit, veggies, and twigs flowing out of it. Upon further review, I think maybe it's called a cornucopia, but who's counting. 
     Thanksgiving weather is often my favorite temperature. Cool enough to put on a jacket but not so much to give me frostbite.
     Plus, the Mrs. always makes pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. Mouth watering delicious.
     Add to that the fact that my November 23 birthday occasionally falls on Thanksgiving Day (like this year) and you can see why I am partial to the holiday.
     I'll admit I'm not a huge tuner-inner (a phrase I just now made up) to White House press conferences. And this column is certainly not an attempt to espouse one party over another. But I did catch part of the action the day the press secretary requested every question-asker (another phrase I don't think anybody else has used much before now) declare some thanks before grilling her about the latest happenings.
     I thought it was a nice touch. As reporter after reporter complied, I sensed a moment of slight unity in a room where contentiousness normally reigns. Everyone had something to be thankful for, and for many, mentions of our country's freedoms prevailed. A couple of reporters took a few light-hearted jabs at the toxic relationship between the current administration and the press. (Ex- One reporter expressed thanks for the First Amendment, implying with a grin that it is under attack). But all in all, it was heartening for a citizen like me who 1) has a lot to be thankful for in this country and 2) wishes we could all get along better, regardless of our political, religious, or personal beliefs.
     As usual, not everyone was pleased, especially those who insist on politicizing any and absolutely everything. Some comments online: (slightly edited for taste)

"Perhaps one of the more cringeworthy requests we've seen in the briefing room"

"They (reporters) should have all said they were thankful for the exit and walked out."

"I'm thankful that awkward briefing is over."

"I'm thankful I know how to wear eyeshadow correctly, unlike the press secretary."

     Here's what I say. If you want to be a liberal, be a liberal. If you want to be a conservative, be a conservative. Same goes for Democrat or Republican or another other party, as long as your goal is to help people live better lives. If you want to scrutinize and criticize those in authority, have at it. We need scrutinizers and criticizers. If you want to take up your banner for a cause and it turns out to be in opposition to mine, that's fine. But DADGUMIT, let's be thankful when given the opportunity to express our thanks. And let's find some DADGUM common ground in this country (and this world even) where we can celebrate what we have in common instead of making everything Us vs. Them.
     I'm sick of all the division in our country. I want people to get along and work together to make this a better place. Disagree at times we must. Become disjointed we must never. 1 Corinthians 1:10 reminds us to agree with one another to prevent divisions among us, so that we can be perfectly united in mind and thought.
     I don't think that means we can't have different opinions or perspectives, but I do think it means we should emphasize what we share in common more than anything else.
     I love Thanksgiving. I"m DADGUM thankful for it. Enjoy the unicornicopia and punkin pie. Thank the Lord for all His blessings. You certainly don't need a press conference to do that.