Best Wishes from Grover Cleveland (and me!) for a Wonderful Thanksgiving!

Many of us will be taking time off from work this week as we gather with family and friends for a time to remember the many gifts and blessings we have to be thankful for. Thanksgiving is a good time to pause and reflect.

President Cleveland’s 1886 Proclamation: Here’s the Thanksgiving Day Proclamation from 1886 from President Grover Cleveland:

Grover Cleveland

Tradition of Thanksgiving: It has long been the custom of the people of the United States, on a day in each year especially set apart for that purpose by their Chief Executive, to acknowledge the goodness and mercy of God and to invoke His continued care and protection. In observance of such custom I, Grover Cleveland, President of the United States, do hereby designate and set apart Thursday, the 25th of November, instant, to be observed and kept as a day of thanksgiving and prayer.

Pause, Worship, Give Thanks: On that day let all our people forego their accustomed employments and assemble in their usual places of worship to give thanks to the Ruler of the Universe for our continued enjoyment of the blessings of a free government, for a renewal of business prosperity throughout our land, for the return which has rewarded the labor of those who till the soil, and for our progress as a people in all that makes a nation great.

Grateful Hearts and Helping Those Who Suffer: And while we contemplate the infinite power of God in earthquake, flood, and storm let the grateful hearts of those who have been shielded from harm through His mercy be turned in sympathy and kindness toward those who have suffered through His visitations.

Remembering the Poor and Needy: Let us also in the midst of our thanksgiving remember the poor and needy with cheerful gifts and alms so that our service may by deeds of charity be made acceptable in the sight of the Lord.