Giving Thanks

Years ago, when I was a cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point, my father came to see me. He lived in Minnesota then, and his opportunities to come to the Academy were few, so it was wonderful to spend some time with him. His visit was even more poignant, as it was Thanksgiving weekend. The most memorable time of his visit was when we were walking along the monuments at Trophy Point overlooking the Hudson River. 

The scene was idyllic. My Father, a veteran Marine who served in the Korean War, wore his best businesses suit and I wore my Cadet Dress Gray Uniform. The weather was cool, but it was a glorious fall day.

We walked together, talked, swapped stories and laughed; the world seemed perfect. We strolled passed several monuments to past American heroes, and then arrived at the tall and beautiful Battle Monument that dominates Trophy Point. This memorial commemorates the Officers and soldiers of the Regular Army killed in the US Civil War. Like other monuments from other wars, it is dedicated to a generation of Americans who sacrificed their “tomorrows” to fulfill the original dream of the Declaration of Independence: “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

My father read many of the names of the fallen and then looked up at the tall Tuscon column. After a moment he turned to me and quietly said: “We have much to be grateful for.”  

My Father has since passed away, but I will never forget that splendid, fall, Thanksgiving weekend at West Point. 

Some moments in time are like that. If, metaphorically, you build your life by adding pearls to a stand, this was a pearl to cherish. 

Since that day, long ago, I have many things to be thankful for, but I am most thankful for the people in my life, my wife, family, friends, and for moments like the one with my father at West Point.

Today, on this Thanksgiving Day, I hope you will remember what you are grateful for, focus on that for a moment, and keep it in your heart. My best wishes to you and your family for a wonderful Thanksgiving. 

John Antal