Nostalgia (part 1) - A Father's Thanksgiving Prayer

Wikipedia/Thanksgiving Grace

Thanksgiving is the quintessential American holiday.  And this holiday has been the focus of some TV specials and episodes in series, especially in the 1950s.  Reflecting on some of the early days of television is a good lead in for this new thread -

nostalgia

a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one's life, to one's home or homeland, or to one's family and friends; a sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time:  a nostalgia for his college days.

according to:  nostalgia. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved November 23, 2014, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/nostalgia

One popular show of the 1950s was  Father Knows Best (1954 - 1960). At its center was a loving family: a hard working father, a wise stay-at-home mother, and three kids growing up in more innocent times.  And it was a time when prayer and patriotism were not banned from public places or ridiculed, but they were encouraged in our culture.

The series first Thanksgiving episode, "Father Knows Best" Thanksgiving Day (TV Episode 1954), focused on this holiday that had started out badly.  But in the end, the family came together and the father prayed with his wife and children.

(reference:  http://youtu.be/VOJbPLPROvg )

Though it first aired 60 years ago, this final scene still touches me and fills me with nostalgia.

This father leads, loves, and prays.  And he thanks God for their blessings, which are our blessings: our country and our freedoms, especially personal rights to worship, think, and speak as we choose.  And finally he thanks God for his family and their love for one another.

With the masculine references and King James English, this prayer is as un-PC as it gets.  But these virtues are a good thing to remember and something to reclaim.  The following Scriptures come to mind:

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

During this Thanksgiving special, with its religious roots, its nostalgia helps me to -

Remember Who We Are!
   

For its history and its impact on our culture, here is a  good resource for more information for starters:   Thanksgiving - Facts, Origin, Pictures & Videos - History.com

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Similar post in this series:

New Years 2012 - the Good worth fighting for! (2011)

AI (part 2) - How Curiosity got our groove back (2012)

Culture 101 (part 9) - Father Knows Best (2013)

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Photo:  Wikipedia/Thanksgiving Grace