Frugal Café Blog Zone

Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on November 26, 2008

By Vicki McClure Davidson * Frugal Café Blog Zone

Here it is, the day before Thanksgiving 2008. I’ve taken a vacation day from work to prep for tomorrow’s family feast. Baked cookies and brownies, started the potatoes, planned the rest of the side dishes, cleaned and cleaned and cleaned some more, and well, things look pretty darned good. My mother-in-law is bringing the turkey, so tomorrow morning, we’ll pick her up and about mid-day, start cooking that bird. I’m looking forward to spending time with her and my family.

More than anything else, I’m thankful. Thanksgiving can really distract you, with all the expectations of a bountiful feast and that work that entails. But, once you have a minute to catch your breath, you need to remember why in the heck we have this day. And for that first Thanksgiving day, centuries back, when the Pilgrim settlers wanted to celebrate and give thanks to God for guiding them in the harsh, unsettled “New Land” in Massachusetts, they knew that with His help and their determination and hard work, they could overcome potential starvation and imminent death. They were our nation’s first capitalists, growing food and selling what they themselves did not need. It was difficult, but those Pilgrims had a vision of a new land where they could be the best they could be on their own terms. They did what had to be done to survive, and in so doing, become stronger and more principled for it. And then, they thanked God.

So, I’m now saying my own prayer to God. Thanking Him for how He’s guided me through these incredibly tough financial times. For giving me strength. For helping me find humor and grace. For embracing a frugal lifestyle, which has made a huge difference in my life.

And while it’s not been easy for us, and our family is still deep in the woods with financial hardship, there is indeed a light way off in the distance. It’s there, all right, and I intend to reach it. Hope and determination and hard work and faith will make the difference. Nothing worth having is easy… if it is, chances are it’s an illusion or a flimsy “house of cards.” As the saying goes, there’s no such as a free lunch. I will not accept a government handout and no one will treat us like a charity case. With freedom comes responsibility. And I accept that responsibility.

This next year should prove to be challenging in America for millions of families just like mine.  But I’m thankful for so many things, and the freedom we have in our great country is just one of them. I’m thankful for my health, my wonderful family and friends, for our brave troops in the war zone, for the roof over our heads, and for God showing me that even when things seem bleakest, there is a light at the edge of the forest. I just need to keep trudging on, and not falter and not give up. It will be a challenge, but I’m not a wimp. Not anymore.

Categories: Business & Economy, Frugal Ponderings, History, Holidays and Family, Religious Views, Social and Political Climate
Tags: challenge, country, determination, economy, family, financial, freedom, frugal, give thanks, giving thanks, God, grace, holiday, hope, humor, responsibility, thankful, thanks, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving tribute, troops