Happy Thanksgiving

Two turkeys in the U.W. Arboretum. 9/29/2012 dwm

Are you up early, getting the turkey into the Nesco, baking sweet rolls, and preparing the pies?

 

Maybe you're warming up for an annual Turkey Trot or Birdie Derby, raising money to help others on a day of thanks?

 

Any time now, there will be parade to watch or a pregame show  to see before the football game.

 

Going over the river and through the woods is part of this holiday's tradition, but there are many who stay at home so they can volunteer at the community feast for everybody.

It's a day to count our blessings. Start with the earliest things or people for which you are thankful - parents, childhood friends, or the city where you grew up. Think about the blessings you received when you didn't expect them or ever figured out how you landed in the place where you are today.

 

Viewing our place in life can be tough, especially when we don't know where we're going or how long it's going to take. It can help to find joy in the journey instead of rushing to the destination.

 

Eating is a wonderful way to celebrate the holiday. As we gather with family and friends the food is the reason we meet but hopefully being together is its own reward. 

 

Turkey and the trimmings. internet image

 Thanksgiving is, in many ways, the perfect holiday. To the best of my knowledge, all cultures and peoples have a tradition of giving thanks, so it's safe to wish everyone a hearty, "Happy Thanksgiving!"

 Holidays are supposed to focus on history or commemorate an event worth remembering. The holiday is attributed to the Pilgrims who survived a year of harsh conditions and gave thanks for their first harvest by inviting the indigenous people who helped them survive.

 

 As stories go, it's a good one, but whatever good feelings there were at the beginning, disintegrated into differences of opinion, and ultimately battles for power.

 

Now it's time to share with your family and friends what you makes you grateful. There are probably reasons by dozen to be thankful... a sunny day, a freshly baked cookie, or a clean CT-scan. You can be thankful for being thankful, how about that!

 

Know for whom you give thanks, then take the next step and thank them for their place in your life. In paying it forward, you recognize them and expand their ripple across your personal universe. For me, Thanksgiving goes another step farther, thanking our God in heaven, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the abundance of blessings in my life.

 

Say thanks. Give thanks. Be thankful. Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Thank you for spending time reading these posts, and thanks for being another reason I continue writing these blogs.