In our world people are often arguing about the native casualties and who is to blame on thanksgiving for the atrocities of our past. They mutter about the holiday being lost to Santa and the intrusion of Black Friday, the most American of holidays, or at least the most openly financially oriented one. We note how wreaths were hung a week ago in the town square as turkeys walked by underneath them. We complain that the history taught in school doesn’t match reality.
I want to stop everyone and say this. Don’t lose sight of the holiday’s purpose. The purpose of today is supposed to be thanksgiving.
Every religion on earth, and every meditative structure worth its salt encourages people to be thankful. Why? It lowers blood pressure, and gives perspective that things are better than you think, even in the midst of the terrible, and hardships of our lives. Thankfulness makes us happier.
If you are reading this you are sitting somewhere with a cell phone in hand, or a computer screen in front of you, which operates on electricity and provides you access to the internet to find it. You are not dying in prison unjustly. You are not starving to death. You are not (probably) living under the tyranny of China’s government, and you are very unlikely to be homeless. Even if you are sick, there are likely many who are sicker. Somewhere you may have a family that would spend the day with you, even if you don’t want to spend the day with them.
There are a number of things in there to be thankful for. Having a thankful attitude toward life enables us to move forward, better our own situation, and find a jumping off point. When you believe everything is terrible and the system is broken there becomes little impetus to fix it. So, this holiday season, from now untill the new year, focus instead on the good. Focus on the things to be thankful for. Once you are thankful, then think about the things you can do so that they will be more thankful for YOU. It’s the thing you have the most control over, and can change someone else’s world.
Friends. Family. Husbands. Wives. Children. Health. Home. Employment. Love. Kindness.
Be thankful.
Next week, back to our usual topic of dialogue!
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