Digest>Archives> November 2007

Wickie's Wisdom

A Time for Thanks

By Timothy Harrison

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While reading an article about some historians who had some disagreements about when the first Thanksgiving was held in America, I thought to myself, who really cares when the first Thanksgiving was held; it is more important that it did happen. It is important for us to realize that the early colonists did have much to be thankful for. And today, we too, as lighthouse preservationists, also have much to be thankful for.

That got me thinking about what it must have been like around the dinner table as lighthouse families celebrated Thanksgiving at all the many lighthouse stations from coast to coast, especially at the remote lighthouses. Since we don’t have a time machine, we must conjure up images of what Thanksgiving was like at most lighthouses, using some of the written histories as a guide.

That’s when I realized that today’s lighthouse community now has more to be thankful for than at any time in modern history. For example, at Lighthouse Digest we are thankful to our many loyal subscribers who have made it possible for us to keep telling the stories about lighthouses and the people associated with them.

We are thankful to the people who started and founded the many lighthouse preservation groups around the nation as well as those who started or founded museums to preserve the artifacts.

We are thankful to the authors of lighthouse books who have researched lighthouses to tell the stories, thus preserving the history for many generations to come.

We are thankful for the grant givers who have stepped forward to help save or restore lighthouses. And to the federal, state, and local government agencies that have stepped forward with various types of legislation and regulations to help preserve and protect lighthouses.

We are thankful to the many people and private businesses that have made monetary donations for lighthouse restoration or artifact preservation.

We are thankful to the keepers and descendants of keepers who have shared their memories and photographs.

We are thankful to the many artists who have painted lighthouses.

We are thankful to the many companies who have created lighthouse products.

We are thankful to reporters and the various media that help keep lighthouses in the news.

And, most of all, we are thankful to the volunteers, who probably number in the thousands, who make the real difference at every lighthouse, or with every lighthouse group. Most serve with little or no real recognition, simply because it is the right thing to do.

So, to all the lighthouse volunteers everywhere, from one lighthouse to another, from one lighthouse group to another, we do have a lot to be thankful for, because of you, the lighthouse volunteer.

Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Timothy Harrison

This story appeared in the November 2007 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.

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