Dear Thanksgiving,

First, I need to apologize that it has taken me an entire year to bring up your name again. I admit it: I have been thinking about Christmas since last December, and even Halloween was dedicated several weeks of planning for my costume. But you? I waited one week until the big "Turkey Day" to bring you up to my family. It is not that I am not proud of you... because I am. Really. I love your turkey and stuffing as much as the next guy, and your cranberry sauce gets me every November. You purposefully bring my family together to celebrate our blessed nation, and I am thankful for that (all the puns intended). However, your relevance only lasts a meal. Thanksgiving, you mean so much more than turkey.

Maybe you slip my mind every year because you have no music. I am the type of person to associate music with every season: summer is for Katy Perry, fall is for Coldplay, winter is for Vince Guaraldi, and spring is for Beethoven. Christmas, of course, gets Christmas music, but where is your soundtrack? I have no way of remembering you exist because you have no theme song for celebration ("Feliz día de la gratitud", anyone?). If radio stations took two weeks out of their Christmas playlist (in freaking NOVEMBER) to dedicate to the season of gratitude, I am sure more people would remember you.

It could be due to the lack of commercialization for you specifically. Seriously, I can count on Walmart to set up the Christmas trees in the Outdoor Section near the beginning of October, but the half-hearted, turkey-shaped ornamental plate they set out on November 12th is a bit of a let-down in the decoration department. Do not even get me started on Black Friday: we reward ourselves for being thankful for what we have for one day by gorging ourselves on "deals and steals" the very next morning. How is that for giving thanks?

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your main issue is that you are overshadowed by your sandwiching holidays, Halloween and Christmas. Let's face it: they take the pumpkin pie from you, and then they rudely rub it all over your face. Where is your fight? I know turkeys are fairly docile fowl, and they definitely make me sleepy after partaking in your trademark meal, but come on, Thanksgiving. You need to remind people of why you are important.

You give us yet another excuse to bring our families together. Obviously, this should be happening already, but some families are so busy that the only day they can get together is on your special day. I love you because I can count on celebrating all that God has blessed me with in the company of my greatest blessing.

You really make us think about what we have, which in my book is both a negative and a positive. I know I have way too much stuff, but I still go out shopping. Yes, even I am guilty of buying those mindbogglingly soft American Eagle flannels that are half-priced on Black Friday. You make me feel guilty about what I have, but that is not your point. What I should be reminded of is what God has given to me and how I can bless others with my gifts. Both ideas are a part of your name: "thanks" and "giving".

Most importantly, you are putting us in the right spirit for Christmas. I hope that does not make you feel too badly that I am using you as a gateway to celebrate another holiday. Christmas is the season of giving glory to God for sending Jesus as our Savior. It is a season of praise and thankfulness... Huh. These are very similar ideals to what we remember on November 23rd this year! Seriously, do not feel bad about us using you to celebrate Christmas. If anything, you should feel proud about your job of preparing our hearts to praise God in such a wonderful season.

Okay, Thanksgiving, let's review: you still do not have a theme song (unless you count Linda's song from Bob's Burgers), your decorations suck, and you have a really bad habit of being overshadowed by other days. But, I still think you make a wonderful holiday. You remind me of what and who I am blessed to have in my life; honestly, we all need that reminder more than one day a year. Best of all, though, you are the only acceptable time to bake and eat a pumpkin pie, and I am not complaining.

Love,

A Happy, Thankful Girl