Thankful...

Thankful…

Gobble-gobble!

While turkey is the usual go-to fanfare synonymous with Thanksgiving, it is very improbable that it was on anyone's dinner plate in 1621.

Being shoreline natives and settlers with an over-abundance of marine creatures a spear’s throw away, an assortment of fish and indigenous four-legged land dwellers of the elk and deer persuasion were more suitable candidates for the famous feast.

Since squash was cultivated by farming the fertile soil, the prospect of the edible iconic pumpkin being on the menu is highly assured.

The adroit and environmentally conservative Native Americans left no footprint behind by utilizing every aspect of the pumpkin, devouring the nutritious flesh, seeds, and flowers, pummeling the rind to weave into waterproof mats, and even curating healing Medicinals.

The virtuous quintessential orange pumpkin has been around for nine thousand years in North America and boasts two hundred and fifty varieties ranging from blue and green tones to the multi-rustic colors of the Hooligan or the flame-like vertical stripes on white of the Blaze pumpkin showcasing the autumnal colors and elevating cornucopias.

Not to be excluded, is the ghostly aptly named Casperita that adds flare and dimension to the vibrant mandarin and golden hues of the season, and the novel teal pumpkin rage that alerts individuals to food allergy awareness and doles out small trinkets for trick-or-treaters.

Their shapes and sizes are divergent ranging from miniature to mammoth.

Its ubiquitous presence has not diminished its value or versatility, retaining its highly prized status to this day as an impeccable fall accompaniment, adorning dinner tables, decorating porches and windows, and not to mention as the tasty main ingredient of an array of feast-able delights from savory side dishes to sweet tantalizing desserts.

The bright orange heirloom pumpkin reigns symbolically as the food of peace that bridged the gap between diverse peoples hundreds of years ago, by minimizing differences, and uniting them in bountiful communion so they could focus on gratitude for their blessings and commonalities.

Who could have fathomed that a simple pumpkin could coordinate and accomplish such massive agendas. We could all learn a lesson from the past. Pumpkin pie anyone? Happy Thanksgiving!

~ ”I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with Thanksgiving,” Psalm 69:30~

HEaling Link® will meet Tuesday, December 6, 2022 @ 7:30pm via Zoom. For more information, please contact Jackie: HEalingLink03@gmail.com Isn’t it time to get Linked?