I remember so clearly walking into a big box store a few weeks ago. What did I hear upon entering the front door? Can you say Christmas music? Oh, and by the way, this was on Halloween day. Even before the Halloween candy has been consumed, the Christmas decorations and related products are on the store shelves; Christmas movies are on TV. Plain and simple, Thanksgiving gets gobbled up by the ads and promotions…year after year. But wait, not so fast…somewhere between Halloween candy and Christmas tree lights, Thanksgiving seems to (every single year) simply get lost. There’s more emphasis on Black Friday sales than gathering around the harvest table to offer thanks for the blessings we often take for granted.

Thanksgiving is simply a special time to pause and reflect on all the blessings in our life…to step back from our busy lives, our computers and phones, and be reminded of what really is important to us. Families and friends gather around the table to connect and make memories. It is nice to have at least one day dedicated to give thanks without expecting something in return. It is a simple holiday, but one with a clear message,

It’s important for us to remember that the word thanksgiving is composed of two words: thanks and giving. We give thanks, and we give and share our time and talents with other people who could use our help. In terms of thought and deed, the Thanksgiving holiday gives us an enriched perspective on the abundance in our lives.

So, before you bury Thanksgiving under the lights and wrappings of the fast approaching holiday season, hold out to at least December 1. That is what I have done for as long as I can remember. I decorate autumn scenery inside and outside of my home..always on the official first day of Fall. These decorations will remain up until the last day of November. Regardless of the sights and sounds around me, I will relish the memories of Thanksgivings gone by, and look forward to new Thanksgivings to come. Don’t rush through the holidays and turn them into one. Appreciate and honor the unique significance each one of them brings to our lives.

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.”