Thanksgiving is one of the last unspoiled holidays we have - a holiday that's still celebrated roughly the same way it's always been celebrated. Sure, there's always the unwavering Arbor Day, but when was the last time your boss gave you a day off to have a fancy dinner party with a bunch of trees? No, Thanksgiving is one of our last major holidays that would still be recognized by the originators. Do you think Joseph and Mary would recognize a modern Christmas? "Mary, who's the fat guy in the red suit? And were there any flying reindeer in the stable that night? I was so busy, I didn't notice." Would the early Christians recognize Easter, as celebrated now? "So, let me get this straight. The Easter Bunny and the colored eggs are the way you celebrate the most miraculous event in the history of mankind?" I'm betting they wouldn't. Since Joseph was a carpenter, he'd be more likely to recognize Arbor Day, dinner party or not.

But Thanksgiving is still unspoiled. Well, it's mostly unspoiled. Black Friday mania is encroaching on the true meaning, but that's Friday's problem and I'm not going to let it undermine the most famous Thursday of the year.

Thanksgiving is still celebrated the way it should be. We still focus on our thankfulness; we still gather family and friends around for a meal; we still stuff our faces. A Pilgrim, transported to 2012 from so long ago, would still know which end of a knife goes in which end of a turkey. He might wince at the canned cranberry sauce, but who doesn't? Thankfully, Thanksgiving is still a holiday that retains its original meaning: "Hey! I'm thankful!" You can almost hear little ol' Tiny Tim mumbling Dickens famous line in the background, "God bless us, everyone." I say almost because Dickens isn't due on stage until Christmas, and I'd really like to keep the holidays separate.

Anyway, enjoy the turkey and the festivities, and be thankful. Be thankful to God. Be thankful for your family. Be thankful for your friends. Be thankful for your country. Just be thankful for all that you have. You should also try to work up some thankfulness for canned cranberry sauce, even if you have to fake it.

David McCoy, a notorious storyteller and proud Yellow Jacket, lives in Covington and can be reached at davmccoy@bellsouth.net.