Most people, when they are asked what their favorite holiday is, typically respond with Christmas or Halloween. Though, I have always responded with Thanksgiving, ever since I was a little girl. There was always something magical about Thanksgiving that made it my favorite holiday because it still, to this day, has a way of connecting people and families together like no other holiday.

To provide some background information, my dad has four brothers and sisters, almost all of whom live in Pennsylvania whereas my dad and our family live in Georgia. However, for Thanksgiving, we would always fly to Pennsylvania and reconnect with his side of the family, which only added to the overall excitement. My brother, sister and I would spend hours playing with our cousins and even more telling them about our lives and all the moments they had missed. For just a few days, we were all together, reconnected, in the same house. Even though there was never enough room for all of us, it did not matter because we were all together as a family amidst all the obstacles it took to get there. And on Thanksgiving Day, we were able, for a moment, truly to exist with each other, not worrying about anything else except what lay in front of us, acknowledging the true meaning of Thanksgiving.

So, what does Thanksgiving mean to me? It is a time spent with your loved ones and a recognition or thanks for their love in a non tangible form. It is about being together and living in the moment, not allowing geographical, political, or social differences to hinder such outpouring of love for one another. It is about making time to reconnect with family who you don't see nearly enough and engaging in conversation with them. It is a time to make memories that will last a lifetime and to eat enough food to keep you full for days. It focuses on the type of gratitude that is not found through presents but rather the presence of others. And most importantly, it is about being thankful for all of the amazing gifts, whether those be tangible or intangible, that you have received throughout the year because wanting something is easy to do, but being thankful for it takes courage and humility.

So, as Thanksgiving quickly approaches, greet the holiday season with open arms and with a new attitude about the true meaning of Thanksgiving.