yourself, take a moment to be thankful for the blessings that is the united states of america. at the risk of sounding like a broken record, it is also time to learn our own history and share it with your family. talk to your children about the real story of the first thanksgiving. do you even know the story? it was 1621. pilgrims had come to this country in search of freedom, freedom to worship god from tyranny. they had a reason to be miserable, not thankful. 102 of them had made the trip to the new world, and on this day only 53 of them remained. by all accounts, their stay up to that had been a disaster, and yet they all gathered to give thanks. they thanked god for sparing those who remained, and for bringing them to this new land.