November has pushed aside the youthful playfulness of Halloween, bringing a more introspective aspect to our fall and winter holiday triad. As we move toward Thanksgiving, we become more family-focused, reaching out to long-held connections and traditions.
Thanksgiving arose out of harsh conditions and a pact between the Wampanoag people and the English to assist and protect one another. That first harvest feast in fall eventually blended with a celebration of thanks for rains after a drought, and Thanksgiving was born.
Yes, the story is far more detailed and rich, but the sentiment of coming together to celebrate the things for which we are thankful has grown through time.
In today’s rush-rush society, time to take stock and realize what is and what isn’t truly important in our lives is a commodity many don’t feel they have. However, without gratitude for what we have in our lives, we can rob our own lives of peace and joy.
As I move through November, I remind myself daily of little things for which I am thankful. These are not always huge or earth-shatteringly important by today’s standards. They’re more often the simple things that are regularly overlooked by the masses.
The playfulness of a kitten who was rescued this week. The beauty of the early morning mist rising off the lake behind our home. The happy laughter and giggles of children as they went trick-or-treating a few short days ago. The first aromatic sip of my morning tea each day. The way my husband holds my hand when we are out, even at so mundane a place as the grocery store. For these things and many more, I am grateful.
We all have heard the axiom about taking time to smell the roses, to slow down and enjoy life. But how many of us take the few extra seconds to also recognize gratitude for those roses?
I challenge everyone, as we approach the one holiday during our year which celebrates the joy of being thankful, to take a few moments each morning and acknowledge the beautiful, wonderful, amazing, incredible things that are parts of our daily lives. Let’s make it a month of thanksgiving, not just one short day which all too often becomes consumed with turkey dinners, parades and football games. Live a life of daily gratitude, and revel in the joyfulness that can come from a truly thankful heart.
