As we prepare for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, may we be reminded that it is not a happy day for all. While many of us view it as the kickoff to the most wonderful time of the year, there are others who dread the holiday season.
If you have family and friends or the wealth within you to celebrate Thanksgiving happily, you are blessed. It is also a time when we remember those who have passed and though I can only speak for myself, I don’t shy away from the fact that it is darned hard to manage the grief at any time of year, especially when your circle is small. We hold them close in our hearts each day, but holidays can be especially tough. I find it more so as the years accumulate.
Yet, we cannot dwell in despair. There are countless things to be thankful for and if we simply open our eyes, hearts, and minds to the beauty that surrounds us, we may just realize that we have more than we ever imagined.
It could be the quiet hour before dawn, as you prepare for your day, making time to watch the sun rise. It could be the peace and stillness in your home late at night as that day comes to a close, a feeling that soothes the soul. Maybe it’s a bird who visits your porch each day or the brilliant sun shining down upon you. Maybe it’s a dark, clear night with cold, crisp air, a bright moon, and twinkling stars.
So often we lose sight that there is magic to be found in such things. I will forever be that look at the moon girl who stops to soak up a multitude of random moments in time. For these times alone, we should give thanks, yet that’s not possible for everyone. How some suffer, and we must remember them on Thanksgiving and throughout the season, then every day thereafter.
Thanksgiving should be a way of life, not just one day. We should give thanks every morning when we open our eyes, and every evening before we close them. We should be grateful that we’ve been given another day to try again. And for those of us with family and friends, solid work colleagues and good neighbors and communities, give thanks. Life is precious, and fleeting, thus every moment counts and is reason enough to count every blessing, no matter how miniscule.
Thanksgiving may not be a happy time for all, but it can be meaningful. Find that meaning in your life and carry it with you each and every day.
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter the words, but to live by them.” – John F. Kennedy
