Thankfulness...

                                  Cultivating Thankfulness...



     In just one week my favorite holiday will be here. Each year it seems that Thanksgiving gets more and more hidden between the plethora of Halloween costumes, and the overabundance of Christmas decorations. I have often thought that stores don't make much money from Thanksgiving, and that is why it seems almost forgotten by the retail industry. Indeed, there is a possibility that as we progress, and technology takes over, that unless there's an app for it, it won't exist. Currently there is a great need in our world to develop appreciation, which goes hand in hand with cultivating thankfulness. 

     If Thanksgiving were to evaporate away in the future, we as a country would lose a vital connection to our early history. The Pilgrims and the Native Americans forged a bond, and it had a connection to eating together. The focus was the sharing of knowledge and food. The tradition of cooking a turkey with stuffing, and having cranberry sauce, along with pumpkin pie stems from the core of the holiday, which is food and friendship. If Thanksgiving eventually fades away, it won't be due to a food shortage, but rather a failure to reflect on all that we have to be thankful for.

    Recently I was working to find housing for a homeless woman, and I felt the desperation and exhaustion that come from a lack of basic needs. It forced me to drive home that day with a renewed gratefulness for what I have. It was a good reality check for me. Sometimes I do take what I have been given for granted. 

   Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because its not about the gifts, but about family and friends and cooking for them. I also love this holiday because it causes    us to slow down a bit, and reflect on our blessings. The fact that it ends with a piece of pumpkin pie doesn't hurt either.

~Kathy~