A Thanksgiving Day editorial in the newspaper told of a school teacher who asked her class of first graders to draw a picture of something thew were thankful for. She thought of how little these children from poor neighborhoods actually had to be thankful for. But she knew that most of them would draw pictures of turkey or tables with food. The teacher was taken aback with the pictures Douglas handed in...a simple childishly drawn hand.
But whose hand? The class was captivated by the abstract image. 'I think it must be the hand of God that brings us food,' said one child. 'A farmer,' said another, 'because e grows the turkeys.' Finally when the others were at work, the teacher bent over Douglas's desk and asked whose hand it was. 'It's your hand, Teacher,' he mumbled.
She recalled that frquently at recess she had taken Douglas, a scrubby forlorn child by the hand. She often did that with the children. But it meant so much to Douglas. Perhaps this was everyone's Thanksgiving, not for material things given to us but for the chance, in whatever small way, to give to others.