Thanksgiving as a Mindset Not Just a Holiday

Thanksgiving has long been my favorite holiday. Perhaps this is because the day signals the beginning of the holiday season or because it is one of the few days during the year when my entire family gathers around one table. I guess it could also simply be because it is an excuse to watch my favorite Gossip Girl episode on repeat. Whatever the reason may be, each year, as soon as the weather begins to chill, I begin to anticipate the fourth Thursday of November.

Amongst all of the delicious food, conversation with family members whom I haven’t seen since last Thanksgiving, and shared laughter with my cousins over memories of our childhood antics, it can be hard to remember what Thanksgiving is actually about. The memories of elementary school activities of writing what you are most thankful for on the feathers of hand-made turkeys fade from my mind, and the chaos of the day’s festivities take over. The special day can easily pass by as yet another day of going through the motions of life and forgetting to practice the gratitude the day is meant to celebrate.

Of course, I am incredibly thankful for all of the opportunities, friends, and family I have in my life and I certainly acknowledge that I am privileged to have these things and people by my side. Still, if I am being honest, this gratitude is more often than not a passive appreciation. Too frequently, I have found myself taking my friends and family, or the opportunity to have an education, or my physical and mental health, for example, for granted. And on the day that I am supposed to acknowledge the blessings I have been afforded, this intentional gratitude can take a backseat to wanting to have a seemingly ‘perfect’ Thanksgiving. 

This year, however, feels a little different. Maybe it is because I am older or more aware of the happenings of the world or feeling sentimental upon coming home from college, but I have noticed myself being overwhelmed with the urge to practice more intentional gratitude, and not just on Thanksgiving Day but for the 364 days beyond.

In a world that is fraught with so much violence, unrest, inequity, and division, it can be hard to be thankful. It can be challenging to see the glimpses of sunshine when life feels like a constant thunderstorm, and it's even harder to grasp the significance of these moments when they seem so small compared to the tragedies and chaos of our world. But, I think that it is exactly in these times when gratitude can be the most powerful and meaningful. 

It is easy to lose sight of the small or seemingly simple things in life, yet these are the very things for which we should feel the most gratitude. It is a privilege to have friends who make you laugh and a family who loves you and sticks by your side through the highs and lows of life. It is a gift to spend your Thanksgiving Day with a spread of delicious food in a house filled with laughter and love. It is a blessing to be healthy, to be able to walk and run, and to move your body. It is a wonderful thing to have an education and the chance to expand your mind.

Life is filled with so many chances to practice gratitude, to take a quiet moment of stillness to say thank you and to recognize all of the beautiful things in your life. While, of course it would be special to take a few minutes on Thanksgiving Day in between the sharing of a wonderful meal and the catching up with distant family members and the obligatory family photos to remember what the day is all about, it is equally as important and meaningful to practice this gratitude every day – to make thanksgiving more than just a holiday, but a mindset.

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