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When I think of cheetahs, I think of Olympic athletes Usain Bolt and Mo Farrah.

There are so many similarities! Athletic, built for speed, determined, focused and confident.

I would like to suggest Farrah and Bolt as the names for Al Areen’s beautiful new cheetahs.

Val Cockrem,
By email.

Editor’s note: Excellent idea, especially as Farrah is also a female first name, and suitable for the lady cheetah above.
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THE modern Thanksgiving holiday traces its origins to a 1621 celebration at the Plymouth Plantation, Massachusetts, US, where the Plymouth settlers held a harvest feast after a successful growing season. This was continued in later years, first as an impromptu religious observance, and later as a civil tradition.

Former US president Abraham Lincoln, prompted by a series of editorials written by Sarah Josepha Hale, proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day, to be celebrated on the final Thursday in November 1863. In 1941, Thanksgiving was finally sanctioned as a legal holiday, and set as the fourth Thursday in November.

For Americans, Thanksgiving is a popular holiday. When being asked why it is so important, one realises it is the simplicity of the word thanksgiving, the expression of gratitude, which best summarises the spirit of the holiday.

The seasons have changed; Mother Nature is reminding us that even planet Earth has a season of rest. Leaves are falling, fields have been tilled under and animals are gathering food. The world is a visual reminder that winter is coming and the bounty and work of summer are behind us. The earth is taking time to pause and reflect, and so do Americans on Thanksgiving Day.

Thanksgiving has none of the trappings that so many holidays hold: no busy agendas, no long ‘to do’ lists. The most travelled day of the holiday period – and of the entire year – is the Sunday after Thanksgiving. This is because when one counts their blessings, it is usually the people, not the things, which truly matter most.

One of the nicest ways to spend the day is to simply visit with family and friends, sit down to a delicious meal, and express gratitude for life. Thanksgiving is about giving thanks for what has already been received, rather than anticipating what one hopes to receive.

Through gratitude, we realise our dependency on others, and their dependency on us. When we are grateful, we want to give back; it is human nature to love. As we acknowledge this love, we endeavour to make a positive impact, a human desire not bound by nationality. This international unity is demonstrated throughout the year in our community in Bahrain. 

The organisations that offer support to charities in Bahrain are as diverse as the countries throughout the world.

The American Women’s Association (AWA) has always shared the spirit of Thanksgiving throughout the year with its community service endeavours. Its biennial Cherry Tree Trot is being held this year, on November 30, at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC).

More than 37 charities are given financial support by the AWA as a result of this event. In addition, it is an inspirational and memorable day out for volunteers, participants, and observers. A beautiful reminder to be grateful for the gifts we each have been given.

As people of many different nationalities, religions, abilities, and ages come together and work together for a common goal, it is a poignant reminder of what humanity can accomplish when we put aside our needs and work together as a collective whole.

As we move closer to the Christmas season, let us not forget the role Thanksgiving plays in reminding us of author William Arthur Ward’s words: ‘Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it’.

Lisa Wahba,
recording secretary for the American Women’s Association in Bahrain.
Editor’s note: More on the Cherry Tree Trot