By: Lauren Wesseln
It’s the most wonderful time of the year again. If you did not already guess, I am talking about Christmas. Why am I even mentioning Christmas when it is only November and we have yet to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday? It seems that Thanksgiving has taken a major backseat to Christmas. I recognize it more now because I have grown up, gone away to college, and have had time to really think about what I have and what I am thankful for. I am sure many of you feel the same. Remember the saying, “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone?” Yes, that one. Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for who and what we have in our lives because in a blink of an eye, it can all be taken away. Instead, we are so focused on taking down our spooky Halloween decorations and replacing them with cheery dancing Santas. At a time when we are supposed to be giving thanks and enjoying the company of others, we are inhaling our Thanksgiving dinners so that we can storm the department stores as early as 6 p.m. that night for the next “big thing.” Where has Thanksgiving gone? It has fallen away from our hearts and our minds.
I cannot say if there is a logical explanation behind my reasoning, but I do have some thoughts. The corporate moneymaking world could not profit as much on Thanksgiving decorations and products as much as they could on Halloween and Christmas. Turkeys, colorful leaves, and cornucopias cannot even compare to pumpkins, ghosts, skeletons, elves, gingerbread houses, candy canes, and Santa Clause. (Elves are especially stiff competition.) Thanksgiving is not about the decorations, but about the deeper meaning. It is not a stop on the way to Christmas, but a stop in one’s life.
We have to first give thanks before we can receive thanks. In saying that, gratefulness comes from reflecting, not from buying. Thanksgiving should not take a backseat to any holiday; if anything, it should take the driver’s seat. Buckle up, and be thankful.