Happy Thanksgiving! Today we reach the 24th day of Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving day, itself. First all, I’m thankful to each and everyone of you that have followed along on this Thanksgiving journey with the Daps Magic team over the last 24 days. We have had a lot of fun being thankful in this way and it has been a wonderful exercise to develop an attitude of gratitude. I’m also very thankful to all of the Daps Magic team! Aren’t they the best? Whatever way each and every one of you contribute, I’m thankful for you and for all you do to help “share the magic!” I hope that all of you, both readers and team, have a very Happy Thanksgiving and are able to share it with loved ones. Know that I am thankful for all of you either way.
I am also thankful for Walt Disney having dreams and pursuing them. So many people have dreams but that is where they stay. Walt Disney continued to pursue his dreams and turn them into reality. Because of this, we have movies like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs that Walt Disney created and then Beauty and the Beast that his legacy led to. We are also able to visit Disneyland, where Walt Disney once walked, and Shanghai Disneyland, where the seeds planted by his dreams eventually grew to become. There have been so many other things that have created that are sources of “joy and inspiration to all the world.”
One of the things that came out of The Walt Disney Company in the 80s could easily be overlooked. In fact, I would be shocked if it is ever broadcast on linear TV or streamed on something like Disney+. However, I love it and it is an annual Thanksgiving tradition of mine to watch it. This is The Thanksgiving Promise. It originally aired on November 23, 1986 on ABC as The Disney Sunday Movie. This family movie stars three generations of the Bridges family. It really is a family affair as Beau Bridges not only stars in it, but directs the film. In the cast, however, the following members of the family can be found:
- Beau Bridges – Hank Trilby
- Jordan Bridges – Travis Trilby
- Lloyd Briges – Stewart Larson
- Dorothy Dean Bridges – Dorothy Dean Bridges
- Jeff Bridges – Neighbor with the truck
There are also some other notable actors in the film that include Jason Bateman, Millie Perkins, Anne Haney, and others.
The story of The Thanksgiving Promise really is a simple one. It is about a boy named Travis who is tasked with raising an injured goose for his neighbor Stewart to become Thanksgiving dinner. Along the way, Travis gets attached to the goose named Chester and has to figure out the balance between his feelings and being true to his word. This is a movie about family and integrity. It gives a look at what it looked like to live life on the farm in 1980s. Having lived in the middle of nowhere in Iowa when this film when it initially came out, I can tell you, it wasn’t that far off from the life we experienced around us living there and then later in Northern Minnesota. Perhaps that is one of the reasons I’m so thankful for this film each year.
The Thanksgiving Promise is a feel good family movie made by a family that was released by Disney over thirty years ago. While things have definitely changed a lot since then, families are still families and go through struggles together. Whether this is with the biological family or the family that is found, I’m thankful for those that come together to love, support, and go through the challenges of life with. These are the people that help navigate the challenges of life and offer support, even when it isn’t the easiest thing to do. They are also the people that help us stick to our convictions and help make the world a better place. I think watching this movie each year is a reminder of how many great people I have around me that help me through the good times and the more difficult times as well. I sincerely hope that this Thanksgiving is a good time and day with those who are special for you! As we enter this next part of the holiday season I hope we can all take a moment stop and be thankful for whatever we are going through or wherever we are at.
I hope you have enjoyed going through 24 Days of Thanksgiving with us. It has been such a fun adventure for us that really have opened our eyes even more to the many things to be thankful for. They say that what you focus on grows and we hope that this just the start for building a world that is full of kindness and thankfulness! Please take a moment and share what you are thankful for in the comments below and then check out our Thanksgiving page for other Thanksgiving posts!
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