Friends – it seems the holiday season is upon us.
Tomorrow we’ll gather for a Thanksgiving celebration – a decidedly American tradition. I love the holiday… but I think we got one thing wrong.
I’m not sure how it came to be that we associate turkey with Thanksgiving. And I’m not wholly opposed to it, either. But I tend to think that fried chicken would be a better choice for the main dish. What could be more American than that?
Regardless, I look forward to our holiday traditions. There’s something magical about this time of year. And the decorations truly add to the festive spirit.
My brother and I held the annual meeting for our real estate investment company at the historic Homestead resort in Hot Springs, Virginia yesterday. This giant Christmas tree greets you as soon as you walk into the resort.
It turns out that the tree came from a farm in North Carolina. Two members of the Grounds crew drove down with a big trailer… picked out the tree… and hauled it back.
When they made it back to the Homestead, several other members of the Grounds team were ready for them. Together, they unhooked the tree, hoisted it up, and marched it right through the front doors of the resort. I’m sure that was a sight to see.
The crew spent yesterday decorating the tree, as we see above. I’m told that they will string lights on the tree today… I guess our meeting was a day too early.
Traditions like these are what make the holiday season so special. And I can’t help but feel like they connect us to our past.
That’s especially evident at the Homestead resort. It’s been around for the entirety of our country’s history.
The original Homestead inn opened its doors in 1766 – ten years before the American founders declared their independence from Britain.
This was America’s first resort. And it quickly became famous across the colony (and then state) of Virginia in those days. Early Americans would make the trek to the Homestead – situated way up in the Alleghany mountains – to bathe in the hot springs for which the town is named.
It’s documented that Thomas Jefferson himself visited the Homestead in August of 1818. He was 75 years old and suffering from rheumatism at the time.
Jefferson spent 22 days at the resort, and he soaked in the mineral springs three times each day – seeking relief from his condition. And apparently the soaks helped. Jefferson wrote a letter to his daughter describing the springs of Hot Springs as “among the best in America”.
The older I get, the more I like to sit and ponder these kinds of things. I think we owe our forebears like Jefferson a deep debt of gratitude.
You know, we take so many things for granted in our fast-paced world of abundance today. As I wrote at this time last year, I don’t think it can be refuted that we’ve conquered scarcity… and we don’t even realize it. I don’t think we want to realize it.
Our ancestors lived in a far more harsh and hostile world than we do… and it’s their work to build up civilization that we have to thank for our abundance today. I’m immensely grateful for all those who came before – working… studying… thinking… and experimenting – to make the world a better place than when they found it.
I think we should do the same.
-Joe Withrow
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