Thanksgiving
We are now in the month of November, heading quickly toward my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving. People are always surprised that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, but I have so many reasons! First of all, I love my extended family, the Pettibones, and we always spend Thanksgiving with them. When I was younger, it was one of the only times a year that we got to see them, so I developed the habit of looking forward to their visit.
Then, Thanksgiving has the advantage of not being a "hassle" because there are no outdoor lights for Thanksgiving, no lugging boxes of decorations from the basement or attic and then lugging them back in a few weeks time. Other than cleaning the house and setting the table, most of the decoration for Thanksgiving is very minimal.
There's no shopping, other than perhaps one trip to the grocery store and let's face it, you're there once a week anyway. You don't have to fight the mall parking lot like you do at Christmas time. No one expects gifts*, so you don't have lists in your purse, bags to hide under the bed, and best of all, no awkward moments when you realize that someone else's gift has much greater value than the one you just gave them (which ruins a lot of people's Valentine's Days and anniversaries!) *except those of us whose birthdays are also on Thanksgiving. We still do, hint hint.
Thanksgiving is just about the only holiday in America that is not commericial in any way. Of course, the retail stores try to promote Black Friday with slashed prices and giveaways, enticing customers to their sales, but Thanksgiving Day itself is not about "buying" anything.
Its just about family. You assemble together and you eat together. You watch the parade or the game together, you cook and do the dishes together, and later that afternoon or evening, you break out the pies and coffee and you sit around, rubbing your full bellies together. You talk about everything and nothing, and whether you do it formally or not, you recognize how God has blessed you.
Why am I waxing nostalgic about Thanksgiving on Nov.2? Someone told me recently that a study was done on people who were thankful. There were two groups: one who wrote down five things every day that they were thankful for, and the other group just lived their lives in the normal, oblivious way. At the end of the study, the thankful group were shown to have exercised more, were healthier, had fewer moments of depression and more success in their personal lives. My friend was telling me (in a very loving way) that instead of worrying about being depressed, I should realize how much I have.
So I have challenged myself to write down five things every day that I am thankful for, not just to wait for a Thursday in November to appreciate what God has given me. And I extend that challenge to you, my friends!
Then, Thanksgiving has the advantage of not being a "hassle" because there are no outdoor lights for Thanksgiving, no lugging boxes of decorations from the basement or attic and then lugging them back in a few weeks time. Other than cleaning the house and setting the table, most of the decoration for Thanksgiving is very minimal.
There's no shopping, other than perhaps one trip to the grocery store and let's face it, you're there once a week anyway. You don't have to fight the mall parking lot like you do at Christmas time. No one expects gifts*, so you don't have lists in your purse, bags to hide under the bed, and best of all, no awkward moments when you realize that someone else's gift has much greater value than the one you just gave them (which ruins a lot of people's Valentine's Days and anniversaries!) *except those of us whose birthdays are also on Thanksgiving. We still do, hint hint.
Thanksgiving is just about the only holiday in America that is not commericial in any way. Of course, the retail stores try to promote Black Friday with slashed prices and giveaways, enticing customers to their sales, but Thanksgiving Day itself is not about "buying" anything.
Its just about family. You assemble together and you eat together. You watch the parade or the game together, you cook and do the dishes together, and later that afternoon or evening, you break out the pies and coffee and you sit around, rubbing your full bellies together. You talk about everything and nothing, and whether you do it formally or not, you recognize how God has blessed you.
Why am I waxing nostalgic about Thanksgiving on Nov.2? Someone told me recently that a study was done on people who were thankful. There were two groups: one who wrote down five things every day that they were thankful for, and the other group just lived their lives in the normal, oblivious way. At the end of the study, the thankful group were shown to have exercised more, were healthier, had fewer moments of depression and more success in their personal lives. My friend was telling me (in a very loving way) that instead of worrying about being depressed, I should realize how much I have.
So I have challenged myself to write down five things every day that I am thankful for, not just to wait for a Thursday in November to appreciate what God has given me. And I extend that challenge to you, my friends!
Comments
Anyway, a friend of mine named Daniel struggled with depression and did a similar exercise. Instead he made a list every Thursday. Every Thursday was thanksgiving day, and after a year he realized a dramatic difference including coming off medication he had been on. The power of Thankfulness is great.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection...