Sara found herself a widow at age 44 with five children. As a self-taught writer, she opted to author stories and children’s poetry. She penned ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’ which became the first speech recording on Thomas Edison’s ‘newly’ invented phonograph. The success of her debut novel Northwood launched her career as an Editress for Godley’s Lady Book. She edited that magazine for decades. Along the way, Sara Joseph Hale campaigned tirelessly to have Thanksgiving turned into a National Holiday. She rallied to have this quaint New England tradition turned into a celebration of home and family across this nation. Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving an official holiday in 1863, in hopes of reuniting a country torn apart by civil war. It took Sara thirty-six years to get it established. Well done Sara, those years of work and tireless effort paid off for us all.
What is something that you are working on that has absorbed a great deal of your energy? It may still be in process. Your goal, your idea, maybe even your dream might feel very far away as it is still somewhere out there, far in the future. Or is it right in front of you just inches from being accomplished? Either way, you have put in a lot of time, hard work and energy to get this far. I think Sara would tell you, “Don’t give up, keep going!”
There is no doubt that some days it is easier to get pumped up to do the work, and on other days the idea leaves you feeling flat. People around you may have grown tired of you talking about your idea, and on other days they may encourage you to just let it go. But something inside you tells you to rally on, keep going, don’t stop. That may be your inner Sara Joseph Hale cheering you to the goal line. What would our lives and holidays be like if there were no Thanksgiving?
As we celebrate Thanksgiving each year, I don’t think any of us realize how it became a National Holiday. I didn’t know. I was astonished to read about it AND to think about someone working through more than three decades to keep the idea alive. THAT is commitment! Sara’s persistence has blessed a nation, simply because she stayed committed to celebrating home and family.
NEVER let anyone or anything stop you from working for what you believe in. No matter your circumstances – single Mother of five in the mid 1800s, first female editor of a magazine in America, or even someone passionate about celebrating family and home in the war torn country. Sara takes away all our excuses…and I am excited to share her as the Mother of a National Holiday.
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