Understanding the cruel fleeting of time

Where did summer go? And October, it came and went in a moment. Now we are in the midst of autumn. Thanksgiving and the colder wintery months are fast approaching.

This time of year always makes me wistful, introspective and a bit melancholy. My brain fills with loved ones, friends, places, and times long past. Warm happy memories.

Growing old does that to you I think. Memories of good times, at least for me, far exceed the bad times.

There's just something about this season that stirs the senses and remembrances of old times. It never happens in summertime or spring.

Only fall does it for me, brings me back. That's why this time is special and precious to me. I know I must embrace it while it's here because it comes in an instant and leaves far too soon.

When you've lived long enough you understand the cruel fleeting of time. You never quite accept it, but you do at a certain point understand it.

For those of us who are Jewish, the seasonal introspection actually begins in September with High Holy Days, then accelerates as we glide toward Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving. What a wonderful holiday. America's best.

What could be more spiritually uplifting and humbling at the same time than thanking our Creator for the blessings He's given us? That's what Thanksgiving means, after all. Giving thanks to G od.

I wish more of us thought about Thanksgiving in this way. Too many ignore the holiday all together or simply look at it as the jumping off point to football games and shopping for presents.

To paraphrase comic Rodney Dangerfield, Thanksgiving just doesn't get any respect, no respect at all.

American popular culture jumps over the holiday on its race to get to the less thoughtful and more rambunctious partying and gift giving holidays.

It's a true loss for all of us as a country.

Thanksgiving was once about the coming together of family and thanking G od, both of which have over time been marginalized in our secular society. The concept of a traditional family continues to be eroded away by our "woke" politically correct culture, which much prefers to honor transgendered, homosexual, lesbian, and actually anything other than what was once considered "normal."

It's important to keep and honor our American religious heritage and traditional family values, especially during Thanksgiving.

And in spite of what liberal culture would have you believe, this can be accomplished without excluding or shunning others in our society.

Americans are a tolerant people. We believe in fairness, always have. But tolerance of those who are different doesn't mean acceptance of their way of life at the cost of our own traditions and values.

There are those who would have you think that if you value your religious teachings and traditional family structure you are homophobic, hateful, and just plain mean-spirited. You cannot be a decent person, they would say, if you do not discard the values of the old and embrace and celebrate the liberal thinking, which is now being mainstreamed throughout our schools, news media and entertainment industry.

For those on the left it's their way or no way.

Citizens who cherish American culture need to push back and speak out. And that goes for our elected Republicans who more often than not will go along with whatever is trendy because it is easier for them. I still believe that most Americans are not on board with radical progressive thought.

I could be wrong, but I don't think so. At any rate, this will be proven one way or another come next November.

The good memories and traditions of this season will always be part of who I am. This is a wonderful time of year and we live in a wonderful country. My wish is that more Americans could appreciate what we have here and now and be truly thankful for all of it this Thanksgiving.

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JWR contributor Greg Crosby, former creative head for Walt Disney publications, has written thousands of comics, hundreds of children's books, dozens of essays, and a letter to his congressman. He's been a JWR contributor since 1999.