Words to live by as we celebrate Thanksgiving

It’s become a bit of a tradition on this page to celebrate holidays by giving our readers words about whatever celebration is upcoming.So with Thanksgiving a mere two days away, here are some words — some thoughtful, some just plain old fun — on Turkey Day.The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.— H.U. WestermayerAs we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.— John Fitzgerald KennedyThanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow.— Edward Sandford MartinWhat 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, "No One Diets on Thanksgiving," 26 November 1981Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action.— W.J. CameronThanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence.— Erma BombeckAn optimist is a person who starts a new diet on Thanksgiving Day.— Irv KupcinetThere is one day that is ours. There is one day when all we Americans who are not self-made go back to the old home to eat saleratus biscuits and marvel how much nearer to the porch the old pump looks than it used to. Thanksgiving Day is the one day that is purely American.— O. HenryLet us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds.— Theodore RooseveltThanksgiving is the holiday of peace, the celebration of work and the simple life... a true folk-festival that speaks the poetry of the turn of the seasons, the beauty of seedtime and harvest, the ripe product of the year — and the deep, deep connection of all these things with God.— Ray Stannard Baker (David Grayson)On Thanksgiving Day we acknowledge our dependence.— William Jennings Bryan