As I write this, the Halloween decorations have been put away and the Christmas season is in full swing. I know many stores are struggling right now and holiday sales make up a lot of their sales, but I think too many of us overlook one of the best holidays we celebrate – Thanksgiving.
We all know how commercialized Christmas has become with Black Friday sales now starting at some stores before midnight even strikes on Thanksgiving night but Halloween has also become a great money maker for stores. In fact, I recently read an article that stated that Americans spent $5.8 billion on Halloween-related items in 2010! Pretty scary stuff – pardon the pun. I like Christmas more than most but I have to say that Thanksgiving is starting to become one of my favorite holidays.
On the fourth Thursday of November most of us gather with loved ones and enjoy great food and company. It is a time to focus on all that we have instead of what we do not have. It is such a great time to slow down a little and appreciate some of the little things that many of us tend to overlook. During these tough economic times, I think it is very refreshing to celebrate how blessed many of us are. Thanksgiving is not about trying to put up the best decorations or buying the perfect gift but rather, almost the complete opposite. Unless you are the one preparing the meal, it is an almost pressure-free holiday.
This Thanksgiving will be a memorable one for my family. My niece, Aubrey, was born with Cystic Fibrosis 10 years. Every year there has been a golf tournament played on the Monday before Thanksgiving to raise money in the fight against CF. This year, my family is heading to Orlando to celebrate the 10th anniversary of this tournament and the blessing that Aubrey has been to us. After this, we are heading a few hours south to spend Thanksgiving with my brother and his family, my mom and dad and my mother and father-in-law.
I know it is so easy to focus on all the negative things happening right now and forget how blessed you are. With all of the commercials and attention focused on holiday sales, it can also be difficult to not skip right over Thanksgiving and move from Halloween to Christmas. This year, I challenge you to take the time to enjoy the turkey and stuffing and not rush through to the next thing. Between now and November 24th, try to focus on the things in your life that you are pleased with. It could be big or something that you think doesn’t mean much – no answer is a bad answer here. After you have been able to do this please let me know – what are you thankful for this Thanksgiving.
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