The Importance of Being Thankful

Welcome back, it's been awhile.

I haven't been in a blog mood so I haven't bothered to try writing. Hopefully you had a nice summer and fall. We're well on our way to winter here. It's even started to snow.

The day after Halloween my neighbor put up her Christmas lights and earlier this week she posted pictures of her fully decorated tree and living room on social media. I rolled my eyes a little and pondered yet again how some folks rush ahead to Christmas and forget to appreciate this season for what it is.

Thanksgiving isn't a very exciting holiday so I get why some skip ahead with decorating enthusiasm. Eating... we do that every day. Eating in excess, we do that often too, at least here in America. Gathering with family you might not get along with- also not thrill inducing. 

Thanksgiving is important as a holiday for other reasons besides eating, though. We're supposed to pause here in the dark time of year and spend some time thinking about the things we are grateful for.

Appreciating the positive things in your life is good for the soul.

Especially the last two years. There's been a lot of negative energy floating around, and taking time to pause and take stock... it allows things to reset a little as the days grow short.

I found myself reflecting on what in my life I'm thankful for this morning as I watched the fluffy white snowflakes fall. Sure, rushing ahead to the cheerfulness and joy of Christmas and all it entails is easier and probably more fun, but we tend to get caught up in the magic of Christmas and forget to focus on the meanings behind the holidays.

I never gotten excited about Thanksgiving very much. There's no particular food associated with the holiday that I get worked up about and traveling in possible snowstorms to hang with family feels tedious. This year though, I'm pregnant and have been given permission to gain weight over the holidays... which makes eating events more fun. There's been a lot of canceled social events over the past two years so getting together with anyone feels more exciting than before.

I also got sick with the dreaded COVID-19 this fall, and while my symptoms were mild and I've mostly recovered at this point, I lost my sense of smell and taste- which made it all too obvious how much I took them for granted. 

If this pandemic has changed anything for me, it's been that it has pointed out the parts of daily life I was taking for granted.

My sense of smell has started to return, but for almost a week I feared it wouldn't. I was miserable at the thought of not being able to taste the delicious food my mother-in-law whips up every year and I realized how truly grateful I am to be able to taste food.

I realized while I was sick how grateful I am that my family experiences good health most the year and that none of us has had major complications from the pandemic. We've been lucky and fortunate.

I don't need to put up my Christmas tree before December. I never have. Somewhere in my childhood I learned that rushing ahead to the next holiday doesn't get us there faster. It only negates the importance of the holiday we're skipping over.

Of course, some people don't celebrate the American Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of November each year. But I can't think of any culture that doesn't have at least one holiday dedicated to being thankful. 

The concept of stopping to give thanks for the good fortunes in our lives is a universal feeling. It deserves it's own time and place in the year.

I don't fault my neighbor for decorating early. That's what makes her happy and I'm just glad she doesn't leave the Christmas lights up year round. But I won't be like that. I need November to be it's own time and place in the year. Taking time to count my blessings is important- probably the most important holiday in the year, even if it's not the most exciting one.

The most important things in life are family/friends and good health. I may have waited until I was almost 30 to fully appreciate that idea, but I've known about it much longer.

I'll get to taste my mother-in-law's cooking this year (and hopefully many years after this one), but I'm especially grateful for it this year. It's hard to truly appreciate what you have until it's gone.

Happy Thanksgiving to your family from mine. May your food be delicious and your homes filled with love. If you need to eat thanksgiving dinner next to your Christmas tree to feel good- go for it. If you're giving thanks for what you have, it will accomplish the same thing regardless of your décor.

Until next time,
Emma Leigh