Thankful: All Year Round

Thanksgiving began as a festival where the community gathered and gave thanks for the food the harvest gave them that season. Now, for most people, it’s evolved into a massive feast where entire family trees come together for a hearty meal and discuss all they’re thankful to have.

In my house, Thanksgiving has never been an all-important holiday. My mom spends the day cooking, yes, but we don’t have much of an extended family (at least, not one that lives nearby), so dinner has always been with my parents and younger brother. While I love sitting down and having wonderful food in good company, as far as the giving thanks is concerned, I’ll be honest and say that, to a degree, I’m not a particular fan of the concept.

Do I think it’s wrong to openly express how grateful one is for turkey, stuffing, family, and friends? Not in the slightest. Do I think it’s wrong to devote one day to telling those people how thankful one is to have them and spend the rest of the year critiquing their every move? Yes. Thanksgiving shouldn’t be the one day a personal sends those closest to him a note or text message or thanks them for all they do in person; it should be one of many. There are a few people in my life I would be so much more stressed or angry or upset without, and I try to slip that notion into their heads more than once a November. Being thankful shouldn’t be a yearly or even a monthly occasion; it should be regular.

Essentially, of course, Thanksgiving isn’t about locking oneself in a bedroom and typing out blog posts; it’s about spending time with the people for whom one does care. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. I hope you’re all halfway into your food comas by now and have thanked those close to you hearts not for the first time this year. Have wonderful meals, create memories, and prepare yourself for Black Friday.