We all know the story of the first Thanksgiving meal. The pilgrims came to America looking for a new home. This land was just what they were looking for, but as civilized men and women from across the sea they had no idea how to survive the cold winters of their new home. The Indians who were already living on these lands decided to help them and showed them how to farm the land and taught them valuable lessons by teaching them the legend of the three sisters.
The legend of "Three Sisters" originated when a woman who could no longer bear the fighting among her three daughters asked the Creator to help her find a way to get them to stop. That night she had a dream, and in it each sister was a different seed. In her dream, she planted them in one mound in just the way they would have lived at home and told them that in order to grow and thrive, they would need to be different but dependent upon each other. They needed to see that each was special and each had great things to offer on her own and with the others. When she explained it to her daughters they all cried and hugged. From then on they celebrated their differences and together they were stronger.
This story is illustrated best in the garden. With three different seeds we can grow a shining example of how God, our creator, intended us to live our lives. The three sisters in gardening refer to corn, beans, and squash or pumpkin. The first sister, corn, is the oldest. She is tall and straight. She gives the second sister, beans, strong support to climb and grow. The second sister in turn brings nitrogen to the soil so that the other sisters can grow stronger and more lush. The third sister, pumpkin or squash, stays close to the ground offering protection with it's big leaves to trap in moisture and keep the weeds from taking over. Her thorny vines also deter harmful animals.
Isn't this the perfect example of what life should be? Every thing in perfect harmony, building each other up to their full potential instead of trying to out shine and tear down others. Jesus said, "I give you a new commandment: love one another; just as I have loved you, you also must love one another" My plan this year is to not just give thanks for what I have but to use what I have to build up those around me. Like the three sisters, we should offer support to those who are falling, nourish those who are in need, and protect those who cannot protect themselves.
In closing. I would like to leave you with one final gift from the three sisters. Everyone eats turkey for Thanksgiving but the pilgrims used what they had in the three sisters to add a delicious and very nutritious dish that many people have forgotten. Succotash! It isn't just a word that Sylvester the cat says while sufferin'. It is a great addition to a thanksgiving meal. Here is my recipe
Ingredients:
Fresh pumpkin
onion
garlic
green beans
corn
canned tomatoes
bacon
Directions:
Fry bacon & crumble.
Use fresh pumpkin (or any other squash), cut into bite size chunks.
Saut pumpkin in bacon grease with onion and some garlic until onions are translucent.
Add all other ingredients (except bacon crumbles) and cover - simmer until pumpkin is done.
Add bacon right before serving
You can serve this in a crock pot (or for the holidays I like to put it back into a hollowed out pumpkin to serve it)
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