By
Andrew DeMarco
This crazy year of 2020 should be a time where we really take stock of what we truly should be thankful for. In the Food Section of the New York Times on November 18th there was an article on how Native Americans look at and celebrate Thanksgiving. There is no doubt that they have a vastly different picture of Thanksgiving than most Americans do and rightfully so. The picture of the Pilgrims and Native Americans getting along where everything was just something out of the Garden of Eden is very different from their view of this holiday. We pretty much all know today that this was not the case and can understand how they feel about these interlopers taking their land and ruining their traditions.
No matter what your take is on Thanksgiving, we should not overlook the real meaning of the holiday and that is to give thanks and show gratitude for what we have today. Although we should never forget history, we should not dwell on the past when it comes to giving thanks today. It is not about who ate what at the first Thanksgiving or even who attended, it is about being grateful.
This brought to mind a friend of mine Steven Crutchfield who has undertaken a 30 Day Gratitude Challenge. Each day Steven sends an email and mentions something that we should be grateful for. On the first day he asked us to think of a simple item for example a key chain, coffee mug or favorite pen. In my case it worked. I have two key chains, one given to me by my wife when we first met and another given to me by my niece that says #1 Uncle. I also have 3 coffee mugs that I use and alternate from week to week. One from my mother and again the other two from my wife and niece, three women I am grateful that are and were in my life. On other days Steven asks which teachers, co-workers and neighborhood shop owners can we be grateful for. As the Challenge continues, Steven even brings up things like smells and aromas, sounds such as music, the purring of a cat, family traditions and daily routines all of which when you think of it, we should be thankful and grateful for. It is up to the individual to think of that item or person and let it sink in on what they really mean.
This challenge really got me thinking that it is the simple things and people in our lives that we may take for granted and that we should all take a step back and give it all some serious thought. This reminded me of the Advent Calendar which we had when I was young.
Maybe we should start small and create a 30 day Gratitude Calendar, using Steven’s daily suggestions, for the month of November leading up to Thanksgiving which would extend that holiday more than the 4 days we celebrate it now, after all there should be no time limit on giving thanks and showing gratitude. It would make a perfect positive lead into the Christmas and Holiday Season especially in this irrational year. Hopefully, it can turn into a 365 day Gratitude Calendar which I am sure would give us all that feeling that Cousin Bob would call that…..Rosy Glow.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Bob's Rosy Glow 