Candied yams, turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie – these are just a few of the things that have come to define Thanksgiving in America. Along with a day of watching football or hitting the mall for deals, these Thanksgiving traditions, in some ways, have overtaken the real meaning of Thanksgiving.
What is your main focus when Thanksgiving rolls around?
Are you as thankful for the roof over your head and food on your table as Hurricane Katrina evacuees?
Will you hold your family as tightly as those in Paris who lost loved ones in the massacre?
It doesn’t have to take a tragedy to restore a sense of gratitude and thankfulness. At the end of the day you won’t care about what was on the table, but rather who is spending time with you around the table. It won’t matter if you’ve attended a slew of holiday parties, only to forego having the time to bake all of the holiday recipes passed down from generation to generation.
Getting into the true spirit of the holiday
Being mindful of the Thanksgiving season requires only a little effort up front. Take time to pause and remember all of the good things in your life. Be consciously grateful for the positive events that are happening and relationships you’ve built. Simply recognizing the good goes a long way toward generating health, such as improved sleep and less stress.
Practice gratitude and thanksgiving this season, along with the traditional activities like watching football and scoring out-of-this-world deals. On Thanksgiving, your guests may enjoy participating in an exercise of gratitude, too. Take a moment to share what has made each of you grateful this season before diving into turkey, cranberry sauce and stuffing.
