Okay, let’s get honest for a minute. How many people say their favorite holiday is Thanksgiving? Not very many.
You know how it is, football all day, making way more food than you need, the obligatory family visits that no one really wants to be at, and oh don’t forget ditching dinner to be first in line at Macy’s. Besides that, no one truly celebrates Thanksgiving anymore. For most families it just brings on more stress over who’s making the stuffing and “do we really have to invite your uncle?” Some people don’t even go as far as to make the traditional turkey dinner. Do you know how busy Chinese restaurants can be on turkey day? Really busy. Half the time the food gets half-eaten and thrown away because no one wants to admit the turkey was a bit too dry. And we all have that one aunt that likes the hard cider a bit too much.
I mean, think about it, stores have Christmas trees all lit up and decorated with Michael Bublé playing in the background before Halloween is even over. There really is no in-betweeen anymore. And how do you even decorate for Thanksgiving? You’ve got the fall candles, maybe a few pumpkins sitting out that are left over from Halloween. Might as well not even worry about it because the very next day your tree better be up, and you better be the first in the neighborhood to have the blowup Santa in the front yard.
Let’s be real. How many people remember the meaning of Thanksgiving? This is a day when we’re supposed to remember our first harvest in the new land and making peace with the natives. Today, the most important part of the day is making sure we can get the game on cable. But are we really thankful for this? Do we ever sit down and claim how truly great it is to have food on our plates and a roof over our heads? There’s a lot of people out there that don’t have this and it seems as though we just take it for granted. Before we can even appreciate what we have, we’re running off to the closest mall with the best sale in order to buy more of what we probably don’t even need. Although I’ve never actually left during dinner in order to shop, I have to admit to seriously thinking about it.
In all seriousness, there’s a lot to be thankful for. Be thankful for your family that always knows the right time to call, your roommate that help you clean the bathroom, that your dog will always, no matter what, come running to the door when you get home. Thanksgiving should mark the beginning of a season when you spend a little extra time with your family just because you feel like it, and when you wanna stay home in your pajamas all day with a good book because it’s just cold enough. Don’t forget the meaning of Thanksgiving this year. Spend a couple extra minutes with those you love, and make sure they know how much you care.
HCXO, Katie
All images courtesy of Google Images