Thanksgiving

     I would just like to give a big shout out to Thanksgiving for several reasons. I guess number one is because for as long as I can remember it has been my favorite holiday. I mean it has a lot going for it, I think probably the first thing that pops into most people's thoughts when it is mentioned is FOOD! More specifically turkey, dressing or stuffing (whichever you call it), and endless amounts of pie. And, of course, each family has their traditional ones like cranberry salad or sweet potatoes or macaroni and cheese and on and on! And although I have always loved the Thanksgiving feast, the food at the feast is not why it is my favorite. There was always an extra warm family feeling of love and togetherness on Thanksgiving that just filled my heart and soul with joy and gratitude. I guess that is why it is called Thanksgiving, right? And as I said Thanksgiving has a lot going for it: there is a lot of food, family, love, togetherness, fun, joy, and giving of thanks! But may I just say that in so many ways this holiday that stands for so much positivity called Thanksgiving gets slighted all too often. I always feel bad when stores skip right from all the mounds of Halloween decorations and replace them with Christmas and, maybe, if Thanksgiving is lucky, there is a small hidden corner for it somewhere in the store. I also know there are tons of people that go straight from their Halloween decorations to their Christmas ones. Even saw a school the other day that already had Christmas decorations in the windows.  Aren't schools even helping kids learn about Thanksgiving and its meaning anymore? I mean, the original Thanksgiving was a coming together of two very distinct cultures in gratitude being expressed for the life saving help one culture received from the other. Nowadays it seems that cultures just want to fight and blame each other for their problems! And that is sad!!! We truly have so much to be grateful for. And we have a day dedicated to that very thought and how many of us truly appreciate it!? And maybe I am a bit odd! No, I know I am, but this oddity is even odd if I think about it, but odd or not, I  just feel Thanksgiving should get its full month like Halloween ans Christmas and Valentines and most all of the other holidays. It just seems like Thanksgiving got stuck between 2 very popular holidays and so it gets skipped over....well, except for the food that all seem to enjoy! So hopefully even if the outward appearance of Thanksgiving doesn't show I HOPE that inwardly there is gratitude in each heart all month long! May we take time all month long to express gratitude for all we have, big or small, because how would it feel to wake up one day without those things?!?!?! May we express gratitude for them while we can AND use the Thanksgiving holiday to do so even more! May you have a blessed and wonderful Thanksgiving my dear friends and may God bless us all with many more!!!