Hello November! It’s approximately a week since Halloween and we have reached the 11^th month of the year. Our first thought is: “My word! Where has the year gone?!” It’s nearly 2017. I remember embarking on this year and thinking how far away fall was and that there was so much time for opportunities. There was time to take on the world and enjoy each moment as it came along.

Turns out, time flies much more quickly than I recall.

October began and we approached the fast holiday season. Halloween cam and was filled with wonderful costumes and a blistering heat unlike any I can remember from years previous. November is here and the southern United States is finally cooling off. All across the internet and in passing others I hear talks of Christmas trees and music. That is all fine and dandy to prepare for but there is a flaw. Thanksgiving hasn’t even come yet!

Though Christmas is a wonderful time of gift giving and music and fun, Thanksgiving is so important. It is actually one of my favorite holidays. It represents the coming together of different people to share a meal to celebrate the harvest and those who taught them how to cultivate the land.

Now, it is a time for families and friends to come together and celebrate what they are thankful for. There is good food, good conversation, and a chance to rekindle old memories. I love it because I get to reflect on what I have been so fortunate to have over the course of the year. It puts the bad moments in perspective and shows that all the good things outweigh what seemed so bad throughout the year.

So when people skip completely over Thanksgiving and go straight to Christmas, I find myself disappointed. Not only are we glancing over an important moment in history, we are also making a moment that is meant for reflection insignificant. Christmas music overpowers the radio, decorations go up in stores in October, and Thanksgiving is overshadowed and nearly forgotten about all together.

I love Christmas too, don’t get me wrong. I love to spend the time picking out gifts for those who are important people in my life and then watching them open them in surprise. However, I wish we could give each holiday its due time and appreciation. I always finish Halloween fun and begin thinking about the food and fun that comes with Thanksgiving. The Friday after Thanksgiving, I’m ready to put up the tree, fish out the handmade ornaments, listen and sing along to the music, and wrap presents. I just want to give enough consideration for each holiday.