To Sarah Hale Thanksgiving would be a therapeutic holiday. "There is a deep moral influence in these periodical seasons of rejoicing, in which whole communities participate. They bring out . . . the best sympathies in our natures."

Hale saw this spiritual dimension of Thanksgiving as a means for preventing the insanity of civil war in America.

I picked up a book for my daughter yesterday, Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving.

She is fascinating. In the book it mentions that Sarah's weapon was her pen. My daughter asked about that phrase and what it meant. I had a great discussion with her about the power of words, that the pen is mightier than the sword. The book even mentions that children are not powerless. They can write to people in power and have a voice. I recommend it, especially for girls.

It took Sarah Hale 38 years of writing letters to get Thanksgiving instated as a National Holiday. That's dedication.

I just learned something new - thank you!

You are welcome. I just learned all this myself.

Great piece of American history. Reading to children enhances their learning skills and develops their intellectual curiosity. What a wonderful gift to your daughter and I learned something I never knew before, thanks bnm