What is the real meaning of this Thanksgiving Holiday? Going back into my history of holidays past, I must say, it always has been a fun family holiday with lots of “thankfuls” to share when we say Grace before the family meal.
Today, though, gratitude for me is a daily choice to see all the things in my life as good. This special holiday is a public reminder of that fact. It is an amazing world and this is an amazing time to live in it right now. I am grateful for the vision that is being shared by many thought leaders about a shift in some fundamental views of the world order.
The first Thanksgiving holiday I was taught about was a day of peace in the breaking of bread among the indigenous people, Native Americans and the new settlers of the land, the English expatriates, who wanted as much to escape from their old lives as to create a new adventure in this new land.
‘Thankfuls’ as part of our dinner routine developed when I was growing up. As an intro to dinner time, we would say grace as a family of 8 kids and 2 parents, going around the table to say what we were thankful for that day. There always was some simple thing we could add. In my tense teen years, even then I could come up with a short phrase which would help me move up out of whatever mood I might have been feeling.
This pattern of giving thanks even when not a holiday, has followed me throughout my life. It never made sense to me just to remember thanksgiving at the holiday time… When gratitude becomes habitual, my experience of daily ups and downs are much more pleasant.
Do you remember any of the family traditions from your childhood that made a difference? Would trying one practice now work for you this Thanksgiving? Or, why not try something new, an adventure in gratitude?
Best,
