Sunday, November 21, 2010

Thanksgiving, for many, seems to herald in the season of folks reconnecting with family. Going to family functions where memorable stories are created. Where fond remembrances are revisited.

For me, Thanksgiving is, indeed, a time to be surrounded by not only family, but by those close enough that in my heart, they’ve become members of my family. It’s a time of breaking bread together, an act I don’t take lightly. Of taking the opportunity to pause life, if only briefly, to gaze into one another’s eyes as we have meaningful conversations that nourish our souls while sharing a meal that feeds our bodies.

In these trying times, Thanksgiving affords us the chance to get back to basics, not overstress about ringing in the holidays with costly gifts that many can’t afford and even more don’t find uses for. Thanksgiving, to me, is a time to give pause to what we already have—family, friends and the fact that we are alive. It’s not a time to begin a spiraling cycle of excessive spending.

And really, what’s the purpose of spending tons of money on silly gifts? Is that what the commercial industry has brought us to? Thinking that the only way others will be pleased with us is if we give them store-bought gifts rather than giving of ourselves? Or from our hearts?

As Thanksgiving grows closer, I find myself beaming over the many gifts I have and grateful that those whom are meaningful to me share my belief that the best gift we can give to another is that of ourselves