Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday centered on giving thanks to God for the abundance of our lives. It is sometimes difficult to explain this holiday to our brothers and sisters in other countries -- Pilgrims, Indians, eating together from the bounty of the harvest, no matter how small, thankful in every way.

Over the years, I have missed three Thanksgiving celebrations with our family -- 1986, when I was in West Chester, PA as the shopping network QVC premiered; my family was in Pittsburgh while I supervised the first hours of the network's television operation. The loneliness of the holiday-away was somewhat offset as two of my staffers and one spouse gathered and gave thanks around a meal that she prepared.

The second missed Thanksgiving was in 1996 while I was in Dusseldorf, Germany, this time working as a consultant with QVC as we prepared for the launch of QVC Deutschland. There were a number of Americans working with me and I organized a Thanksgiving celebration at the Steigerwald Hotel where I was living. The Chef was most obliging and understood everything except the concept of "seconds."

The third missed Thanksgiving was the next year when I was working as a consultant in Sydney, Australia, once again preparing for the launch of a TV Shopping network for Australia.

As I had done in Germany, I organized a Thanksgiving celebration for the Americans there which was highlighted by a verbal argument over a business matter between the CEO and the Director of Marketing; very verbal and entertaining, at the time.

This year, we will have members of our family missing from the table -- some are in Thailand, teaching music at a university there; others with family in Connecticut. They will be remembered in a toast.

However large or small our celebration, we are reminded every day in ways large and small of the abundance of our living -- the roof over my head, the running water from my faucet, the food in my refrigerator.

How grateful; how thankful!