Thanksgiving. The dictionary first defines it as an expression of gratitude, then as a U.S. holiday celebrated on the 4th Thursday of November commemorating a harvest festival celebrated by the Pilgrims in 1621.
Growing up, I don’t think I truly understood how meaningful Thanksgiving is. As a kid you sit in your elementary school classrooms, draw hand turkeys, eat turkey for lunch, learn about the pilgrims, the Native Americans, talk about what you’re thankful for, etc. Year after year, you do and learn the same things but you probably don’t realize how significant this holiday actually is.
No doubt, Thanksgiving is a time for delicious food and playing 20 questions with family members you haven’t seen in a while. But even the fact that Great Aunt Gladice wants to know every miniscule detail about your current life is meaningful. Family is everything and if you don’t have close family there are those people in your life that feel like family. Thanksgiving is a time to get together with those people you don’t typically get to see, chatting with them about what they’ve been up to as well as them asking you about your life. I personally love getting to spend time with all of my cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. Especially since I’ve gone away to school, I appreciate getting to see them as often as I can. These people have seen me at my worst and at my best so far and I would hate to miss seeing them even on one simple holiday.
Thanksgiving is also a time to truly think about your life and the important things in life. I don’t think a new year’s resolution has anything on the Thanksgiving thoughts. This is a time to sit down and reorganize your priorities. Look at your life and where you are headed and if it isn’t a meaningful path, change directions. Think about those things before Christmas and the New Year; make a change before those family members come back for the holidays. I tend to sit and think about the day to day things that I am doing that make myself and my family proud. Thanksgiving is a reminder to not take any day for granted. Maybe next year you won’t have that feast before you, or maybe you will. Maybe next year Great Aunt Gladice won’t be there, maybe she will. Either way, take this season, this time to think about your family and friends who mean the world to you and I’m sure it will brighten not only their holiday season but yours as well.
This thanksgiving, don’t just make hand turkeys, eat mashed potatoes, remember the pilgrims and Native Americans or simply state what you’re thankful for. Soak up every ounce of gravy and love from your family and friends who surround you at the dinner table, the couch, or the floor. Take this chance to tell Great Aunt Gladice you love her and no, you still don’t have a boyfriend. Think about the people who go you where you are today and thank them for their help along the way. If you’re not in the best situation, take this time to think about where you want to be and how you want to feel this time next year or even next week.
