The Holidays are upon us, and bring with them joy and cheer. Thanksgiving approaches quickly and Christmas follows close on its heels. Whether you are at home with family, or visiting friends, or away from both, the holidays are a time for connection with those we hold. The holidays are a time to give thanks and to be close. Here in America we take these holidays for granted. We take the messages and the premise of both Thanksgiving and Christmas for granted and that is a real shame.
Thanksgiving is a time to prepare a huge feast and then to gather friends and family and share in the feast and be happy. Christmas time is an occasion to give gifts and show our appreciation for others and if you are religious, to celebrate the miracles that occurred. This is what at their most basic level the holidays are supposed to be, but not only do many seem to take them for granted, we also forget their meaning. Given that Thanksgiving is less than a week away at the time of this article I would like to focus on Thanksgiving.
The premise of Thanksgiving, for most people, centers on the huge feast that is prepared. Thanksgiving brings to mind thoughts of turkey, gravy, yams, and other festive foods. Many people walk into their home on Thanksgiving and expect the smell of delicious food to greet them. I am one of these people. But there are many other people who cannot afford a turkey and do not have a house to walk into. There are many people who feel lucky to get anything on Thanksgiving. Some of these people live blocks from you. Some of these people have children. Some of these people are children.
Every day on Thanksgiving, people starve. In the US, in Africa, in Europe, in Asia, and everywhere else people starve while we in America eat a huge feast. On top of this, many forget what the holiday is about. The feast of Thanksgiving was representative of a successful harvest and the first to celebrate Thanksgiving gathered to celebrate the fact that they could even have a feast and that they would not starve. In America, we do not really appreciate the words meaning of Thanksgiving. We no longer give thanks. We no longer appreciate all that we really have. We no longer appreciate the fact that we have food, and a bed, and a roof over our heads, and friends and family to gather. We no longer appreciate the jobs we have, the education we can afford to pay for, the million other things we take for granted all year long and the simple fact that we have the ability to read this article while many cannot and the.
This Thanksgiving I encourage you to truly take some time and give thanks for everything you have. Remember there are many who have less than you. Remember that it will not change without your effort and your dedication to make a change in the world.
