Thanksgiving: By Far The Best Holiday

Throughout my life, each of the holidays has meant different things to me.  I am hoping it is a sign of wisdom and maturity and despite what my wife might think from time to time, I truly feel I have grown as a person.  As a kid, Christmas morning was so exciting with the tree, the presents, and a feast with extended family.  As a young adult, New Year’s Eve was so much fun with friends ringing in the New Year with eternal optimism, but in retrospect, I think it was just an excuse to get drunk.  Easter had its special charm with rejuvenated spirituality as we celebrated the Resurrection of Christ.  Each of the holidays is special in its own way, but as I go through my life’s journey, I keep coming to the same conclusion that Thanksgiving, by far, means the most to me.

We have so much to be thankful for.  We have so many things that we take for granted.  Thanksgiving is truly an opportunity for self-reflection to realize what we do have in life and to give thanks for it.  For most of us in the industrialized world, we have the necessities of life.  Yes, there are those that cannot pay for groceries and rely on foodbanks, but many of us do not go to bed hungry at night and we should be thankful for that.  Yes, there are those that are sleeping on the streets, but most of us have a roof over our head and we should be grateful for that too.  Yes, the price of gas can be challenging, but many of us have basic transportation to get around and we cannot forget that.  These are just a few examples that we cannot forget that are a part of our material lives.

But there is the non-material part of our lives that is just as important.  We need to be thankful for our health.  It is taken for granted constantly until we are sick.  We should give thanks that we are not afflicted with cancer, Lou Gehrig’s disease, Parkinson’s, the list goes on.  These are things we cannot control, but it serves as a reminder for the things we can control with our health.  We need to reexamine our personal use of tobacco, alcohol and diet.  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  Give thanks for a healthy body.

Then there is the emotional health.  Many people are lonely, and the holidays only compound the problem.  We need to be thankful for our family and friends that we have their love and support.  Yes, our siblings might drive us crazy with their politics, world view and conspiracy theories, but we should be thankful we have them, nonetheless.  Good or bad, families are truly priceless.

Then there is the country we live in.  We need to give thanks for living in a great country giving us the freedom to live our lives without political oppression and an opportunity to pursue our passions whatever they may be.

I can go on and on.  There are the pessimists around us that bitch, complain and whine about this, that and every other thing, but they truly do not see the big picture.  As bad as some days might get, be mindful of this thought.  Just imagine how happy you would be if you lost absolutely everything you had and then got it all back the same day.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone. 

Al

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