Gobble, Gobble!
Thanksgiving is just around the corner. I normally shy away from cliché “What am I thankful for” posts, but I feel that I need to make one this year. This is partly due to the fact that the retail trend of pushing Black Friday into Thanksgiving has gotten worse this year.
If you’re not sure what I am talking about, go to google and do some quick research.
Whatever happened to taking a break from the real world to enjoy the company of your loved ones? When I was a child, going out to buy things you didn’t need on Thanksgiving was unheard of. The grocery stores would open in the mornings for those last minute food items people forgot, but they were always closed by noon. Always.
You simply didn’t go out shopping (that’s what Black Friday was for). You didn’t shop before eating and certainly not afterwards—The children would play with their siblings and cousins while the adults sat around the “adult” table, drinking their mysterious adult beverages.
It was a day to enjoy yourself, to relax, and to reflect on the important things in life: the things you were thankful for.
Now that I’ve jingled my two cents in front of everyone, here are five things that I am thankful for!
1. Moving! Granted, I hated the packing and unpacking part, but I am glad we moved because I am really happy here. I enjoy the atmosphere, and it has allowed me to expand my writing and artistic abilities
2. My tablet. I consider it to be an electronic typewriter with paper all in one! It is also a free way to make video calls with family members who live several thousand miles away. Before I got it, the last time I saw my mother was in 2009. Now I can see her and others a lot more often!
3. The small things. It could be a fond memory unlocked by a random incident, someone offering me a smile and a complement, a favor done for me, or making someone else smile!
4. Food/Shelter/Clothing. Those three things go without saying, but I am grateful and appreciative of them. I appreciate my winter pajama pants so much so, that over 10 years later, I am still wearing them (it helps that the powers that be knew how to make sturdy clothing back then)!
5. Family and friends. This also goes without saying. Family is always there, even if life gets busy. When you contact them months (sometimes years) later, it feels as if there never was any sort of time gap. The same holds true for friends.
If you’re not sure what I am talking about, go to google and do some quick research.
Whatever happened to taking a break from the real world to enjoy the company of your loved ones? When I was a child, going out to buy things you didn’t need on Thanksgiving was unheard of. The grocery stores would open in the mornings for those last minute food items people forgot, but they were always closed by noon. Always.
You simply didn’t go out shopping (that’s what Black Friday was for). You didn’t shop before eating and certainly not afterwards—The children would play with their siblings and cousins while the adults sat around the “adult” table, drinking their mysterious adult beverages.
It was a day to enjoy yourself, to relax, and to reflect on the important things in life: the things you were thankful for.
Now that I’ve jingled my two cents in front of everyone, here are five things that I am thankful for!
The PJ pants mentioned in #4
2. My tablet. I consider it to be an electronic typewriter with paper all in one! It is also a free way to make video calls with family members who live several thousand miles away. Before I got it, the last time I saw my mother was in 2009. Now I can see her and others a lot more often!
3. The small things. It could be a fond memory unlocked by a random incident, someone offering me a smile and a complement, a favor done for me, or making someone else smile!
4. Food/Shelter/Clothing. Those three things go without saying, but I am grateful and appreciative of them. I appreciate my winter pajama pants so much so, that over 10 years later, I am still wearing them (it helps that the powers that be knew how to make sturdy clothing back then)!
5. Family and friends. This also goes without saying. Family is always there, even if life gets busy. When you contact them months (sometimes years) later, it feels as if there never was any sort of time gap. The same holds true for friends.
