I still remember one year when I was serving Active Duty in the Navy getting together with another couple for Thanksgiving. I couldn’t afford to go home, nor did I have the leave time available. I recall making mashed potatoes with this other woman from Nebraska (a far cry from my hometown in Mississippi), and we had different ideas of how to make them. She kept saying something about adding mayonnaise, and me, I just wanted more butter. I compromised and later as I swallowed a lump of them I thought, “these sure don’t test like grandma’s,” but I wasn’t in Iraq like I could have been, so they tasted pretty good.
Here’s four things we take for granted at Thanksgiving.
1. Being off on Thanksgiving. Look around and you’ll see many people you may forget about on the holidays. Your friends in the service industry don’t get to leave work for turkey day. As a nurse, I can remember plenty of years I ate hospital cafeteria turkey and dressing with my coworkers. Sick people don’t take a holiday. As a veteran I can recall many holidays spent away from home, and no matter how much I tried to make it like home, it just wasn’t.
Medical personnel, police officers, military members, and so many more don’t get to come home for Thanksgiving. So that’s one thing anyone sitting around a table with family on this Thursday can be thankful for. The privilege of being off work and being home. Make sure and say thanks to all those who serve our country, community, and other needs this holiday season.
2. Family. A great many of us will complain about the company we feel forced to keep on Thanksgiving, but always keep in the back of your mind your friends who are experiencing the holiday without a spouse, child, or parent who has recently passed away. They’re learning how to transverse through what should be a joyous occasion, but is evading them this time around.
I still recall the first Thanksgiving after my mom passed away. We tried to make it normal, but it wasn’t. It was lackluster and depressing.
Be grateful for the presence of those you love and those who love you. They won’t always be there. Life is fleeting. Hug the people around you, tell them you appreciate them, and keep in your prayers your friends who are grieving this holiday season.
3. Food to eat. Do we truly take the time to consider how fortunate we are? Even the poorest families in the U.S. have much more than other countries. Even in your own small town, you have more than what many may have. You can always find someone with less if you open your eyes.
Take the time this year to count your blessings, pray for those without, and most importantly give to those in need. That’s how it all started, right?
4. Freedom of religion. As you say grace before your meal this year keep in mind that in many countries they are forbidden to do so. We are supremely blessed to be able to worship and pray freely without fear of persecution.
So, no matter if your pie doesn’t turn out right, your mother-in-law gets under your skin (I must add here mine does not), or you hate traveling, try and put it all in perspective. You’re off work and able to drive to a family gathering with your spouse and all your children by your side. You can praise Jesus or whoever you choose as you feast on turkey or ham. Your choice, really. We are afforded so many things to be thankful for each and every day, but I would encourage you to especially open your eyes to your many blessings over the next two days.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Dave Parsons says
As the old saying goes, I quit complaining about having no shoes when I saw a man with no feet! I do thank God for feet and shoes though if I could only find a pair of shoes that didn’t aggravate my bunions! It is so good to know there are those standing by and on guard for us today and they have to be away from family gatherings or have to arrive late! I worked many holidays at Disney and often times volunteered especially for younger people with small kids at home who needed to be with their little ones on Christmas morning! Also, there was a quietness about my work area on holidays unless something major happened which thank God didn’t too often! My radio was quieter, no urgent calls from the boss or some other big boss that felt like they needed to tell me something needed to be done which already was on my backlog and couldn’t be done due to the other fires they created! But I was thankful God gave my wife and I great jobs there! We now are retired comfortably because of plans that Disney contributed to! I thank God for the great health insurance Disney provided so my family could go to the finest doctors and dentists! I thank God for people there who believed in me and helped me to succeed! I do remember one holiday I volunteered for though and several of the big big bosses from the various departments decided to come into work and get together and walk the Magic Kingdom! My word, they kept me running all day taking pictures and writing up things they saw that needed to be done which as you might of guessed it were already on our back logs of work! We never seemed to be afforded enough people to wipe out those backlogs but we did help the magic to happen for many wide eyed little ones and some of the older ones who loved the magical wonders of the Magic Kingdom! I thank God for his many blessings on me and my family! Sorry to be so wordy but I am sitting up alone waiting on the ones who arrived from Florida to wake up! They arrived at God knows what times during the night! We left them instructions on where to go when they came in so I might step on one or two if I’m not careful! I know of one little great grandson and granddaughter who will want to ride my tractor so excuse me while I go and check to make sure I have enough diesel fuel! Happy Thanksgiving and thank you God for your blessings on my family and on this country!
brieann.rn@gmail.com says
Thank you for sharing. Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy your family and time together today.
Dmitri Dumas says
I sent you a message on facebook. Happy thanksgiving.