When I was a child, I looked forward to Christmas more than anything else -- not for the food, or the family, but for the gifts. Presents were all the mattered; as a child, I was extremely materialistic. As the years went by though, I found myself less focused on the presents, and more on presence. I cared less for the novelty of Christmas, and more for the sincerity of Thanksgiving.
In my house, Thanksgiving is about family and food. It’s about gratitude, love and appreciation for everything with which The Lord has blessed each of us. It took me a few years to catch on to this concept, to realize that I was right to be grateful because not everyone has so much to be grateful for. I’ve seen enough of the world and befriended enough people to know that I am especially blessed. I’ve been given a beautiful family: cousins who’ve become best friends, aunts and uncles who’d drop everything just to help me, sisters who I don’t deserve and parents who deserve the world. As a child, I thought everyone had it this good, but growing up has made me grateful.
Thanksgiving has also led me to love and appreciate people more. When I look back on suppers I shared with my family five years ago, there are people missing now. Life is fleeting, people are not permanent and you will not always take priority in everyone’s life. Grandparents get sick, cousins marry into other families and siblings cannot get away from work. I would give anything so that I could enjoy another Thanksgiving meal with the same people and same amount of love from when I was little.
As I grow up, Thanksgiving is still an important holiday, a time for me to forget the stresses of the real world (for twelve hours) and to focus on the important things, the only things that will matter when I take my last breath. My family, the love we all have for each other and the devotion we have to each other -- these will be the only things that matter in our old age. Thanksgiving puts my life back into perspective; God shakes me and reminds me that my grade on my Spanish exam is such a minuscule worry compared to my family’s health or my friend’s well-being.
As Thanksgiving rolls around on Thursday, remember to put everything in perspective, rethink your priorities and allow yourself to forget about exams for the day. Years from now, you will not know the exact grade you received in your chemistry class, but you’ll remember the stories your family shares with you. You’ll remember the way your mom cried when she realized her child was all grown up, the way your dad hugs you to let you know how proud he is of you and the way your grandmother smiles and winks at you because you both know it’s only a matter of time. So drag yourself out of your bedroom and into the kitchen with the rest of the family; life is temporary, but love is eternal.
