Thanksgiving Taking Time to be Thankful Meaning of Thanksgiving
In the hustle and bustle of our crazy, super-active lives, many of us approach the holiday season with anxiety and the knowledge that we will be even busier than usual because of the additional work and activities and preparations required to celebrate. Unfortunately, it can be easy to lose track of the real meaning of the season.
The original Thanksgiving Day was an event set aside by the Pilgrims to gratefully celebrate the mere fact of their survival during unbelievably difficult times. Were they thankful? Absolutely. Every obstacle imaginable came their way in those early years in Plymouth: disease, pestilence, attacks by unfriendly natives, weather extremes, and more.
The original Thanksgiving celebrants were not interested in seeing how lavishly they could decorate their table. They were interested in sharing their bounty with each other and the native tribes they had befriended. There was plenty to eat because the harvest had been rewarding. There was a great deal of fellowship because the Pilgrims understood the importance of cooperating and working together for the well-being of the entire community.
During the ensuing years, the original meaning of the Thanksgiving holiday has given way to creating a memorable holiday "event" where the major goal is creating a meal that a gourmand would love, leaving everyone filled to capacity and gorged on special treats that are served well into the evening, with a guarantee of more of the same in the form of leftovers the day after.
Contemporary society doesn't concern itself so much with the mere fact of survival. Most of us have come to feel a sense of entitlement for the bounty we receive in our lives. Society has even managed to distract the grateful Thanksgiving participant further by making the Thanksgiving Holiday the (un)official kick-off to the major holiday shopping frenzy that follows. In addition to splurging on excessive amounts of food, you can also look forward to spending excessive amounts of money at the "guaranteed best sale of the holiday season."
Somewhere in the back of our minds, most of us know the season is all about gratitude and try to acknowledge that feeling in our heart. But giving thanks needs to be about more than just thinking about how grateful we are for the bounty of our own lives. True thanks giving should be reflected in positive actions that benefit others. Of course, the Thanksgiving dinner for friends and family is a great way to spend time, acknowledge appreciation, and share what is often the most sumptuous home-cooked meal of the year. We are all willing to acknowledge the value of family and friends.
But, let's take this a step further. Many people in our society do not share equally in the bounty and the gifts that the average member of society can boast. To be truly thankful for what we have it is important to spread our "harvest" beyond our own fields. Support food pantries and homeless shelters, not just during the holiday season, but certainly at those times. Instead of starting your holiday shopping extravaganza the day after Thanksgiving, donate that day to helping an elderly person with house cleaning or home improvements. Knowingly sacrifice just one of the extra desserts you may have indulged in during the time of feasting and give that money to someone who couldn't provide that much food to their own family.
Being thankful doesn't need to be that much of a sacrifice. A positive action directed to help someone else will serve to reinforce to ourselves and to others that we are, indeed, thankful for all the good that exists in our lives.
