My family has always been a bit unorthodox when it comes to Thanksgiving. We'd all pile into my Aunt Trudy's house in New Jersey the day after Thanksgiving and eat Italian food. There was a lot of kissing relatives you see once a year on the cheek, running around the house in our socks, and eating too many pre-dinner snacks that we barely had room for the chicken parmesan (sorry, Aunt Trudy). I spent a bit of time as a kid wishing our Thanksgiving was more traditional, complete with stuffing, turkey, cranberry sauce, and a big round table. I wished my parents weren't divorced so I could see my dad's side of the family as well. After my first year in college, I wished Thanksgiving took place in my hometown, Chicago, so I could see some of my friends over break.
Recently, I lost my Uncle Bob to a terrible train accident. Nobody could've seen it coming. He was one of my favorite parts about Thanksgiving besides the food. (Sorry Uncle Bobby, it's true!) Standing well over six feet tall, he was at least 10 billion heads taller than my 4'11" mother and most of my notoriously short family. He sarcastically threatened us with knuckle sandwiches, tickles, and had a powerful voice, an incredible sense of humor, and a warm heart.
Thanksgiving was the last time I saw my Uncle Bob. Had I known, perhaps I wouldn't have complained so much. I wouldn't have complained about the Italian food at Aunt Trudy's. I wouldn't have complained about not being able to see my dad's side of the family. I wouldn't have complained about not being able to go to Chicago. I wouldn't have complained about a single thing. Instead, I would've been a bit more thankful for the things I did get to do. I got to enjoy yet another amazing Italian dinner at my aunt's. I got to explore the Museum of Modern Art and numerous stores in New York City. More importantly, I got to spend an entire weekend with my family.
It's dangerously easy to take what we have for granted. My behavior last Thanksgiving is a prime example of being ungrateful on the few days a year we're supposed to continuously think about all that we have. I think we should make this a weekly or perhaps daily practice...thinking about how good we have it. We get lost in the minutia of social media and daily life and have a tendency to compare ourselves and the things we have to those who have more than us. But if you are reading this article on a computer screen or your smartphone, you are luckier than the 4.4 billion people in the world who don't have access to the Internet. The food you're snacking on as you mindlessly peruse your Facebook feed? You're luckier than the 12.9 percent of our world's population that
doesn't have enough food to eat. The cozy bed you're lying in? A luxury to the 6.5 million+ people that have been displaced from Syria who are still trying to find a place to call home.
My grandpa just called me up and we exchanged our Thanksgiving plans. He's visiting his son-in-law's mother's house for Thanksgiving. I'll be going to Nashville with my dad. Oddly enough, I find myself longing for some Italian food at Aunt Trudy's. But instead of feeling nostalgic for my past , I'll decide to feel lucky for my present...lucky that I can afford a plane ticket to see my dad, lucky to be able to talk to my grandpa on the phone, and lucky for so much more. I think if we make being mindful of the things we have a daily practice and decide to feel thankful instead of ungrateful, we could be far happier than we are now. Have an awesome Thanksgiving, wherever you are.
