November is known as the “Month of Thanks.” Of course, you already know why because of the national holiday celebrated known as Thanksgiving. It’s a holiday many look forward to since it’s possibly one of the rare moments families are able to come together and enjoy a big festive meal full of mashed potatoes with gravy, corn, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, stuffing, and other yummy treats along with the good old-fashioned traditional turkey!
This is one of the holidays I do enjoy in life. Every time it rolls around, Thanksgiving officially starts in the early morning hours in my household. Gotta get up to get the turkey prepped and ready for the roaster, then gather all ingredients for other parts of the meal to be prepared in a timely fashion. The entire morning and part of the afternoon is filled with grease splatters, bread crumbs, empty packages/boxes not making it into the garbage and large dishware and utensils piled in the sink waiting to be washed at the end of the day. (Or early morning depending on if that “full” feeling in the tummy goes away.)
However, even with all the hectic meal prep and people running in and out of the kitchen area for absolutely no reason, it’s still my favorite part of the day and I’m grateful and thankful for having such an experience. Yep, I am thankful for working over a hot stove, becoming exhausted and yelling over the noise that takes place in the house as we all wait to eat. You’re thinking I’m nuts for being thankful for something crazy like that, but it’s true.
Being thankful is one of the many lessons we learn in life beginning at a young age. As a young one, you learn how to be thankful to others by simply saying the word “Thanks” when someone does something nice for you like giving a present, cooking your favorite meal or helping you reach something on that high shelf. And you easily get it back when you act upon a chance to help another. When receiving a “thanks”, I get a warm feeling of good inside that says “Well done”.
Though I’ll tell you now, it’s not only about saying the word itself as thankfulness comes in so many different forms. Being thankful for food you eat, clothes you wear the shelter you live in, family you’re close to, friends you hang with, your pet that cuddles with you at night are examples of the small things you’re grateful for. Situations you experience, whether big or small, can also cause a feeling of being thankful. For example, if you see someone who doesn’t have a home to live in, you think “I’m thankful I have a roof over my head.”
Or you notice that person walking down the street in a thunderstorm with only a jacket to keep them dry, you think “I’m thankful I got my umbrella to keep me dry from the rain.” Sometimes you can come across an experience that can be thankful and helpful for another as well. Remember that classmate who got a low grade on that history exam while you got an ‘A’? Of course, you’re thrilled and thankful for being smart, but feel bad for the classmate. So what can you do? Offer a study session with them or even tutoring on whatever they have trouble understanding.
Sometimes throughout all your own thanks of the many things you have acquired, you begin thinking of the many who don’t have much in their lives. Sure, you think of those less fortunate than you because you’re a good person inside and out. But even though several might not have much, they’re happy with what they are able to have. Having so little doesn’t mean you aren’t rich, it just says they don’t have the means to get what you have at the moment or honestly don’t wish to have it. It kind of reminds me of the story of the First Thanksgiving.
Do you remember the story of the First Thanksgiving? I recall hearing this story every year for as long as I could remember while I was in elementary school. It was part of our school’s tradition to tell the story in all the classrooms before school let out for the holiday. Basically, an entire ship filled with Puritans landed at Plymouth Rock in the winter of 1621. Shortly after, they made friends with the local Native Americans who helped teach them how to grow their food and made an agreement to protect one another. One day in fall, the Native Americans heard gunfire and thought the Plymouth settlers were ready to start a war. Turns out they were hunting for food for a harvest celebration. The natives then joined in on the hunt and turned up with all kinds of wonderful food for a three day celebration. Both the colonists and Native Americans sat down to this glorious feast together, thankful for their friendship and great meal.
What also goes with this story is that as they came to America, they didn’t have much except for whatever clothes they had, personal belongings, and one another. But even with so little, they were still thankful they were able to break away from the Church of England, travel to a new land, create a new life and enjoy it all with newfound friends.
In short, remember that a simple gesture of kindness and being grateful for everything you’ve been given, are given and will be given is one of the greatest feelings in this entire world. So, make sure to give thanks and say “thanks”. Not only during the holiday season, but for every day of every year.
Happy Thanksgiving and thank you for reading!