I've observed people suddenly trying to be more thankful than they were a month ago. I've observed more people at the grocery store, many of those people almost running over me as I hobbled through the aisles with my cane. I've observed more people on the road, many of them impatient and driving dangerously. I've observed commercials about having more stuff or nicer stuff. I've observed people making Thanksgiving the mark to allow them to begin their Christmas shopping or to shop good deals for themselves.
Thanksgiving isn't about any of that.
Thanksgiving is a date on the calendar where people make a conscious decision to get together with family or friends. Sometimes they travel, sometimes they don't. They often connect with people they haven't connected with in a while. Sometimes these groups come together out of obligation. Sometimes they come together because they actually want to be together. During this time these people eat their favorite traditional Thanksgiving foods.
Thanksgiving and its traditions shouldn't be an obligation. It shouldn't be stressful. It shouldn't cost an obscene amount of money. Thanksgiving shouldn't be a day to be dreaded.
Thanksgiving should bring us memories of family and friends that surround us all year long. Thanksgiving gives us an opportunity to be with as many of those people as we can, eat together, visit together and enjoy each other's company. Thanksgiving doesn't have to happen on the fourth Thursday of November. It can happen anytime we eat with those we care about and are thankful to have in our lives.
Thanksgiving isn't about table decorations or big turkeys. It's about people. It's about people you can count on, who are there to support you and encourage you and give you a hand when you need it. Thanksgiving gives us an opportunity to stop and celebrate the people we love. Even if we can't be with them, we can celebrate and appreciate what they add to our lives.
Enjoy your day this Thanksgiving. Pause from the running and really see what you have to be thankful for. Sit back and enjoy your blessings. Those blessings may not always be around, you don't want to miss out because you were worried about how your table looked or whether or not you had the perfect food or who showed up or who didn't.
Be thankful for all you have before it is gone.
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