Tuesday, November 25, 2003
Thanksgiving Day
Here in the United States, this week kicks off the holiday season with the Thanksgiving holiday this Thursday. Legend has it that this holiday began when the Pilgrims who first came over to this land had dinner with the native Americans to give thanks for their safe arrival. Little did the natives know what was coming or else they probably wouldn't have joined them for dinner.
A number of items mark this particular holiday:
1. Food. Lots and lots of food. It's not a good time to be a turkey.
2. Big parades in the largest metropolitan areas of the country.
3. There's a Charlie Brown cartoon, and we all know only the biggest holidays get a Charlie Brown special (well, I'm still not sure what that Arbor Day thing was).
4. Football, football and football as the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys play their respective opponents.
5. The day after Thanksgiving marks the "biggest shopping day" of the year where, as I mentioned in an earlier blog, millions of people get up earlier than they do for work, endure huge lines, packed malls and overflowing parking lots to get incredible deals on merchandise in a futile effort to convince the economists that the economy really isn't that bad.
6. The day before Thanksgiving marks the biggest single travel day of the year as people all over the country and some outside it travel back home to join their families.
The last item is the most important of all, because the heart of this holiday lies in that togetherness of family and friends. Many people may not be fortunate enough to have those family and friends with them to express that, or, worse off, may not actually have the love and support of the family that does exist for one reason or another. Those of us that do have it must realize that it is not something to be taken lightly or for granted. Having that love and support can be a very powerful thing. It can spur you on to do great things and be the type of person you never thought possible. It is certainly a reason to stop and be thankful, moreso than being thankful for any tangible item that we possess.
So to those out there reading, think about those that mean a lot to you and how much you may mean to them. Take the time to celebrate that and remember how fortunate you are to have it. Happy Thanksgiving!
