By Jason Smith, member of Congress
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Families and friends across Missouri and our nation joined around the table to celebrate Thanksgiving. This time of fellowship provides me with an opportunity for reflection, restoration, and gives me hope for the future.
Just like many of you, every year since childhood, I have spent this time with my family, friends and loved ones. For me, Thanksgiving has always been a day filled with eating way too much, playing board games, and simply enjoying the company of family, friends and the sounds of laughter as old stories are shared well into the night. The irony of this day is that while it allows me to slow down and reflect, it inevitably is over much too quickly.
It’s no secret that our country has endured tough times over the past year. But, as Americans, we have so much to be thankful for. Our nation is founded on freedom and is full of generosity. For every bad thing we hear or read about happening at home and around the world, there is so much good going on around us that we often overlook.
For example, volunteers through Scott City School in northern Scott County came together on Thanksgiving Day to cook and provide meals for families in need. For any family who did not have the means, the residents of Scott County made sure they could enjoy a turkey dinner. In Bonne Terre, volunteers in St. Francois County, in partnership with Shared Blessings Transitional Housing Center, delivered traditional Thanksgiving meals to families on Thanksgiving Day and will continue serving their community throughout the weekend. These are just a few instances happening right here in the Show-Me State of Americans taking the time to serve their fellow Missourians. As I see and hear of all the food drives and neighbors finding ways to help each other during the holiday season, I am thankful for and humbled by the generosity and genuine concern Missourians have for one another.
The Pilgrims at Plymouth gave thanks centuries ago because, through much trial, they had survived the first winter in their new home. Today as Americans, we have much to be thankful for as well. We’re living in that same home, which is now the greatest, freest country in the world.
But as we begin one of the most special times of year, be sure to say a continued prayer for our brave men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who celebrated the holiday at their military base in Bahrain, South Korea, Japan, or elsewhere away from home. They are putting their lives on the line to protect the freedoms we enjoy every day. And say a prayer for our military families, who wish they too could have their loved ones at the table.
I feel blessed to be born in the land of the free and the home of the brave. I am grateful to God for his grace and my salvation. I am especially thankful for the opportunity to serve and represent my neighbors before the U.S. House of Representatives. Only in America could a farm kid like me have the chance to work every day to preserve our rural way of life and help make the generous and kind Missouri communities that we call home even better.
Whether you went hunting in Missouri’s great outdoors, played flag football in the backyard with your family, volunteered your time and energy to help others, or hosted your whole family for dinner, I pray your holiday was filled with thanks for our multitude of blessings.