Nov. 19, 2009

Isn’t it amazing how in the matter of one hallowed eve, we manage to go straight from Halloween to Christmas? I’m probably the worst — come Nov. 1 all I want is Christmas music and candy canes. As far as I’m concerned, November is just a month-long extension of the most wonderful time of the year.

But what about Thanksgiving? We pass it off as a pilgrim’s holiday, padded with pumpkin pie and turkey overkill. It’s really just a guilt-free, gluttonous tradition that more often than not morphs into a prequel to Black Friday. Shoppers can load up on mounds of carbs to sustain them at the mile-long register lines the next morning.

I grew up with a group of boys who believed the only proper way to celebrate Thanksgiving was with a breakfast just as big and just as decadent as the afternoon feast. That way you can stretch your stomach and make plenty of room for the afternoon turkey feast.

This year I’ve decided to do something about Thanksgiving. I have three little kids, and I’m responsible for teaching them the stuff that counts. The story of the pilgrims and Indians is important, but Thanksgiving is more than a memory, it’s a living holiday.

Last week I heard a fellow say that he’s pretty sure the devil would like us to skip Thanksgiving altogether and go straight to Christmas. I’d have to agree with that. When times are tough, You-Know-Who doesn’t want people concentrating on good stuff, like blessings.

This is an especially difficult time for many families. Parents are out of work, retirement funds have taken a hit and with Christmas right around the corner, a lot of people are looking at a slim tree. It would be easy right now to focus on all the trials and tribulations we’re dealt with on a daily basis.
But I’m thankful to live in the land of the free. We have food on our table every single day. Our heater hums, the water runs warm, and we have been blessed with unacknowledged simple luxuries that kings of the past didn’t even enjoy.

If we want something sweet, it’s a brownie box away, and there is enough entertainment at our fingertips to numb our brains from all the unpleasantries life might bring.

Yes, life is tough, but sometimes the blessings that count are the simple, beautiful nothings that touch our lives every single day. A friendly neighbor, a break in the weather, that perfect song on the radio. There are always things to be thankful for.

So this year, my family and I are counting off the Twelve Days of Thanksgiving. Each day we talk about a different area of our life, and the kids pick one thing from that area to be grateful for. Then, we write it down and tape it to the wall. It’s about taking those unnumbered blessings and making them tangible, tacked up in black and white.

Sitting here, I can hear my little kids chattering away downstairs. I’m grateful for those voices, and this year I will make sure they know it.

See more at Annie's blog at regardingannie.com