Giving Thanksgiving
Nov 17th, 2016 - by Martha McCann, Michael '13
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Thank you to the Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina parents for sending such wonderful cookies along with the festive Thanksgiving decorations. The mids happily took pictures with the props, which generated plenty of smiles on a day when we celebrated the abundance that we enjoy in America.
We also baked all day for the first time in a long time. We have been blessed with plenty of cookies each week and have felt that baking wasn't necessary, but this week we thought that the Regiment and staff would like to walk into Land Hall smelling something delicious baking. While we contemplated baking apple pies, that task seemed overwhelming considering we have between 400 and 600 visitors on average each week. So we settled for apple tarts and they seemed to be a big hit.
It's interesting to note that we at Cookie Cafe never make requests to the baking families for any particular type of cookie, but somehow our prescient mom and grandmother bakers find the exact right thing to bake and send to the Academy. As one mid remarked, "Everything looks so great, I don't know what to pick."
Celebrating Thanksgiving, which started with religious overtones, should include being thankful for the blessings our country has bestowed on us. The mids definitely shared their "Thank Yous" to the parents who take the time and effort to bake for Cookie Cafe. But we also took the time to recognize how thankful we are to those who defend our country. One of KP's own, alumni Captain David Taliaferro, U.S. Army, who until recently was a Company Commander at the Academy, has deployed to the Middle East for the 5th time. The last time David deployed we at Cookie Cafe sent his entire unit cookies along with notes from the mids. Well, we took the opportunity again to send Capt. Taliaferro and all his personnel (about 120 soldiers) six large boxes of cookies along with thoughts from the students, especially those from 3rd Company. Frequently the mids wrote to David about their gratitude for the efforts he and the other military are making on our behalf. So for this we are thankful and send our prayers for all our soldiers' safe return. David has promised to share pictures of his unit partaking in a "Deployed Cookie Cafe" 7,000 miles from home.
And as Abraham Lincoln said in 1864, as he formally proclaimed Thanksgiving Day:
"Now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, do hereby appoint and set apart the fourth Thursday in November as a day which I desire to be observed by all my fellow-citizens, wherever they may then be, as a day of thanksgiving and praise to Almighty God, the beneficent Creator and Ruler of the Universe. And I do further recommend to my fellow-citizens aforesaid that on that occasion they do reverently humble themselves in the dust and from thence offer up penitent and fervent prayers and supplications to the Great Disposer of Events for a return of the inestimable blessings of peace, union, and harmony throughout the land which it has pleased Him to assign as a dwelling place for ourselves and for our posterity throughout all generations."
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! How grateful we are for all your support and participation on behalf of the midshipmen.