Thankful?
Recently, earlier this month, my 8 year old son stated that he thought we must be the only family in the whole city that celebrates Thanksgiving. I thought this was an odd statement. What would give him that idea? Apparently he felt like everyone was skipping Thanksgiving because so many Christmas decorations were up around town and in stores already. Even one of the MSN online news headlines read that Black Friday has now become a month long event during November.
For years now I think we have all noticed how early the holiday decorations have been coming out wherever we go. I used to struggle with the idea of putting up a Christmas tree on Thanksgiving weekend, feeling it was still a bit too early. However, it appears that Halloween has now become the new benchmark for ‘early’. Maybe my son isn’t that far off in his assessment of the situation.
While I’m certain that we are NOT the only family who celebrates Thanksgiving, I have to wonder what our collective actions say as a nation. We now transition from scary and candy absorbed festivities to the countdown toward sales and shopping madness. With all of that grab and go behavior, what has happened to our sense of gratitude? Are we simply thankful for the obscene amounts of sugar and spice and everything nice that capitalism can afford? Or is there more to consider during this time of year?
As I watch and interact with people who have travelled to this country in hopes of a better way of life, a freer way of life, I am enlightened by what I see. It seems that while the reasons and means that brought them here may differ in several ways from those of our national ancestors, the basic hope remains the same. And the gratitude, coupled with the challenges, is a similar reflection of the past as well. Nothing about early settlements was easy. Little about new settlements of people arriving from around the globe is easy today. But perhaps, when it comes to Thanksgiving, that’s the point; that while challenges and hardships are part of our continuing story, we are to take time to account for what we do have. We pause. We give thanks. It was even in the midst of our Civil War when the first national proclamation of this holiday was made. We paused. We gave thanks.
In the midst of this crazy and bustling time of year, perhaps we can all find reason to pause and give thanks. Certainly something good can come from that? I am thankful for Life, my family, friends… for redemption… for liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I am thankful for the people who have travelled life’s road ahead of me and who have paved the way of faith. And I am grateful for those who have travelled their own long road, which has led them to this country, and who now help to remind me of so many reasons why I should be thankful.
As someone once said, “A grateful heart is a happy heart.”
May your hearts be happy during this Thanksgiving holiday, and beyond.
-Angie
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