It is widely accepted as historical fact that the first Thanksgiving was held by the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony in 1621.
President Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving an annual national holiday in 1863 to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November.
The holiday has been a part of America for centuries.
It has expanded from a day to give thanks for a bountiful harvest to a day of food, family and football.
There is nothing inherently wrong with celebrating today with a turkey leg and spending quality time with family and friends.
But perhaps this year, more than any other, we need to harken back to 1621 and be thankful for this nation's bountiful harvest.
This nation of freedom was built on the foundation created by a group of people that faced hardships we cannot fathom today.
It is estimated that more than half of the pilgrims who journeyed to America died as a result of these various hardships, which ranged from disease, inadequate food supply, harsh weather and Indian disputes.
But these people endured.
Many died, but still they gave thanks.
They, along with our Founding Fathers more than 100 years later, created the greatest nation the world has known.
They craved freedom - freedom to worship as they chose, freedom to speak their minds in public, and the freedom to determine their own government free of taxation without representation.
They knew these freedoms did not come without a cost, a cost that is still being paid today.
These freedoms came under attack Sept. 11, and indeed, many more died as a result.
Let us remember the sacrifices of more than 350 years ago, and also the sacrifices being made today, both at home and in a country thousands of miles away that has never known such freedom.
And as our forefathers did more than 350 years ago, despite these sacrifices, let us be thankful for the freedoms that make us great.
Amarillo Globe-News ©2015. All Rights Reserved.