Giving thanks
With Halloween behind us, Thanksgiving is quickly approaching. When I was little, Thanksgiving was just another occasion to eat and play with my cousins, but that was the extent of it. In comparison to Halloween and Christmas, both of which we prepared for and celebrated for an entire month, Thanksgiving felt a little … hollow. I knew the history of the holiday, but while it felt like we were celebrating, it never felt like we were celebrating anything in particular.
So this year, I’d like to actually celebrate. I’d like to have the same feeling of excitement and celebration that I have for other holidays.
This is my plan.
Stealing an idea from Valerie, I’m going to try to post a gratitude post on my personal blog every day leading up to Thanksgiving. (I say try because I already missed a day yesterday. But what can you do?) I have so many things to be thankful for, and the process of writing about them helps me to recognize and solidify those feelings of gratitude.
I also want to write a thank you card a day. Whether it’s to my mom, a loved friend, or the maintenance man who came and fixed our door alarm when it was going off at 4:30 in the morning, there are people in my life to whom I should show more gratitude.
I heard recently (from who, I can’t remember for the life of me) that in order to receive, we must show gratitude for what we have, and that we are better able to give when we feel thankful. Thus, it is no coincidence that Thanksgiving comes before Christmas.
What do you do to celebrate Thanksgiving?
That is so interesting, Maryanne…my family traces back our history to the Mayflower and the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving, so as a kid we made a big hooplah about it. Plus, my parent’s appreciated a spiritual but not overtly Christian holiday. My Dad used to have us fast all day on Thanksgiving until dinner, so we would know what it felt like to be hungry, like the Pilgrims were hungry. Now I think of it as a chance to be with my family and to be grateful. I love the idea of writing a note to say thank you to people who have blessed you in some way!
I’m shamelessly stealing the thank you card a day thing. On the upside, there’s a good chance you’ll get a thank you card for it.
What a wonderful post. Thank you for bringing this up and encouraging me to think about it.
Great post! I agree that we often treat Thanksgiving as an opportunity to prove how glutenous we really are rather than actually showing any thanks for the incredible bounties we have. One of my favorite Thanksgivings was when I wrote my Mom a gratitude letter telling her about all the things she had done for me in my life that I was grateful for. It really helped me get into the spirit of Thanksgiving and I think it helped boost our relationship with each other a bit. I also liked the thought that in order to receive we need to show gratitude for what we already have. I hope to keep these things in mind over the next two months.
I love the ways you have decided to become more mindful of things you are grateful for, and to thank others. I also like to recognize that this is one holiday that the country can celebrate together. Links to Thanksgiving Proclamations from last year, here. I used to look forward to the Thanksgiving “editorial” in the Wall Street Journal every year. It’s gone online now.
I also expanded my musical horizons last year with music for Thanksgiving. I’m grateful for tractors. They kind of remind you of the fundamental necessities of life.