A Thanksgiving Message

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On this special day for families across America, I want to share the timeless words attributed to Shawnee Chief, Tecumseh, which I’ve shared with readers on many past Thanksgivings.

Live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart.
Trouble no one about his religion.
Respect others in their views and demand that they respect yours.
Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life.
Seek to make your life long and of service to your people.
Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.
Always give a word or sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend,
or even a stranger, if in a lonely place.
Show respect to all people, but grovel to none.
When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light,
for your life, for your strength.
Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living.
If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.
Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools
and robs the spirit of its vision.
When your time comes to die,
be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death,
so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time
to live their lives over again in a different way.
Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home.

– Tecumseh
(1768-1813) Shawnee Chief

With warmth, peace and love on this Thanksgiving Day,
Michael Krieger

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3 thoughts on “A Thanksgiving Message”

  1. Michael, I trust you and your family enjoyed your Thanksgiving Day together. Thank you for this piece from Tecumseh. And to think we thought it was the natives who were uncivilized!

    Reply
  2. “Trouble no one about his religion.”

    This seems to go along with the current ecumenical view that all roads lead to heaven. This is as logical and as false as saying all roads lead to New York. Believe it all you want, but it doesn’t make it any less false. Besides, without a true God, exactly who should one be thankful to?

    Reply

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