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Thoughts for Thanksgiving

Remembering Erma Bombeck, a cherished humorist, whose wry humor included Thanksgiving. Despite suffering from a hereditary kidney disorder, she became a best-selling author before her death in 1996. The post also highlights John F. Kennedy’s perspective on gratitude and notes developments regarding his family’s political legacy.

updated November 24,2025

 

“What we’re really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets. I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving?”

Erma Bombeck

Erma Bombeck-humorist, writer

Beloved for her wry yet warm look at family life, Erma Bombeck was America’s favorite humorist at the time of her death in 1996. Ten of her 13 books, including Forever, Erma, appeared on the New York Times best-seller list. (affiliate link)

She suffered from a hereditary disorder called adult polycystic kidney disease, and spent years on a waiting list for a transplant.  On April 3, 1996, she received a kidney transplant but passed away from complications later that month.

W. T. Purkiser (1910-92) was a prolific writer, respected scholar, and well-loved preacher within the Church of the Nazarene who also had a significant voice in the larger Christian community.

John F. Kennedy, President of the United States

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.”

John F. Kennedy. 

Elected in 1961, John F. Kennedy was the 35th President of the United States. He was the youngest man elected President. On November 22, 1963,  a few days before Thanksgiving, he was assassinated by a bullet wound to his head.

His younger brother Robert F. Kennedy served as Attorney General for his brother. He later ran for President and was shot and killed while campaigning.

In 2024, his nephew, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., ran for President but later withdrew from the race. President Donald Trump nominated him as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and he was confirmed by the Senate.

In November of 2025, President Kennedy’s granddaughter Tatiana Schlossberg announced that she has acute myeloid leukemia, a diagnosis she described as terminal.

“Schlossberg thanked her husband and her family for their support and for countless days spent at her bedside.” (NBCNEWS.COM)

 

Sharing the HEART of gratitude

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Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol

A post about Charles Dickens, a renowned English writer, of “A Christmas Carol” and “The Pickwick Papers.” His storytelling introduced terms like Pickwickian syndrome, reflecting his influence on culture and health. Dickens also advocated for children’s hospitals through powerful speeches, merging his literary talent with social responsibility .

Charles Dickens, English writer, wrote some of the most beloved and quoted literature in English. Almost everyone is familiar with his Christmas classic,

 A Christmas Carol,

it has been portrayed on stage and in film – even animated versions.

What would Christmas be without Ebenezer Scrooge, the Ghosts, and Tiny Tim?

Dickens also wrote The Pickwick Papers

Another Dickens book created the name for a medical condition –

Pickwickian syndrome: The combination of obesity, somnolence (sleepiness), hypoventilation (underbreathing), and plethoric (red) face.

The syndrome is so named because of the “fat and red-faced boy in a state of somnolency” that Charles Dickens described in his novel, The Pickwick Papers. (The same boy is thought by some experts possibly to have had the Prader-Willi syndrome).

Dickens may have been the “first celebrity medical spokesman.” 

 Dickens delivered a rousing speech on the plight of ill children and the need to support the children’s hospital. As an extra bonus, the author threw in a reading of his beloved “A Christmas Carol.” The journalist T.A. Reed, said of Dickens’ performance that night, “I never heard him, or reported him, with so much pleasure … his speech was magnificent.”

pbs.org
I will honor Christmas in my heart. Charles Dickens
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What is Advent?

The season of Advent, which comes from the Latin word adventus meaning “coming” or “visit,” begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve. Advent is the beginning of the liturgical year for Christians. [Liturgical — from liturgy, which means the forms and functions of public worship.]

Many families observe Advent with Bible readings, lighting candles, songs, and stories to remind them of the events leading up to the birth of Christ as told in the New Testament. (these are affiliate links for you to consider and help support this blog with a commission on any purchases you make while reviewing)

sharing the HEART of Advent

I’d love for you to follow this blog. I share information and inspiration to help you turn health challenges into health opportunities.

Add your name to the subscribe box to be notified of new posts by email. Click the link to read the post and browse other content. It’s that simple. No spam.

I enjoy seeing who is new to Watercress Words. When you subscribe, I will visit your blog or website. Thanks and see you next time.

Dr. Aletha