This year has been tough for everyone, especially for those who have faced health challenges. But now it’s time to celebrate Thanksgiving and express appreciation for all we have. It’s easy to forget this when we see how quickly the stores have switched to Christmas mode, even before we have cooked the turkey. I saw this today when I drove past Home Depot and they had fresh Christmas trees, red ribbons, and all kinds of decorations. That seems really early for a fresh tree!
In any case you should think a bit on what you have to be thankful for. Try and tune out cable news for a moment. That is mind poison that will dampen your holiday spirits. Some of the stuff they were saying was kind of funny though. One politician was bemoaning the fact he spent $90 on a turkey which made me laugh since I have seen turkeys from 77 to 99 cents a pound in multiple stores for me. Inflation fell to 3.2 % in October and although prices are still high some things like the Thanksgiving turkey and other foods are more reasonable.
Watching TV you see story after story on what to buy for holiday gifts. Well this is what advertisers do they need to push products. As I listened to some of these gift ideas, they seemed like very lame gifts. One was something to keep your wine cool. Can’t you just chill the bottle? Do you think anyone would need something like that? This type of gift may sound like it interesting on TV and people buy it because it’s a unique gift that may get regifted or donated. We should remember the season we are entering. Rather than focusing on what to give as a gift we should just relax and enjoy the company of those we love. Being grateful for the time we have together is important. You can’t take this for granted. Life and circumstances shift in the wink of an eye. Don’t forget to spend time talking, laughing, and reminiscing.
Time is what we need to be thankful for. We can buy new items all the time. The one thing you can’t buy is time. People you should have spent more time are important and if missed that chance, you may regret that in time. People move or worse so remembers to take a breath, relax, and talk spending quality time with family and friends.
We need to put things like jobs, businesses, and work problems where they belong, namely into a cubby hole of your mind for a while. The time to deal with those is later instead of holiday stress. Putting this aside and focusing being thankful for what and whom you have around is what’s important.
Avoid the minefields that are out there. Family will come ready to share their views, but it is best to avoid politics. Kindly remind them that now is not the time for that. Nothing is worse than another year of fighting over pointless political drivel! This time of the year I don’t care about elections or what some fool of the day is ranting about.
There will be loads of sports on and plenty of holiday movies to enjoy. In our family nothing says holidays than shows like Home Alone and Christmas Vacation just for starters. Try some games or laugh at some movies together, but treasure the true gift of the season in the form of time with your family this Thanksgiving.
