The title of this post says it all. Our holidays have become one rushing event to the next. We all need to take a step back and look at what this holiday is truly all about!
Thanksgiving Day, the real one in no way resembled the one that we celebrate today. Today we gather family and friends around a table filled with bountiful blessings of food stuffs and proceed to eat ourselves into a food coma. Then we stagger into the living room/family room and plop down upon the sofa to watch football games, depending upon the viewing habits of the family in question. Then, we go back to the table for another round, calling it supper, then to our respective homes to sleep it off, only to jump up at the crack of dawn to begin the mass exodus to the retail worship centers.
BUT, the real Thanksgiving Day, was not a good day originally. It has been changed to what we know now over many years. Today there is a warm fuzzy feeling as we think of the Indians and the Pilgrims sitting down to share a feast of Thanksgiving, and yes that happened once. As with many holidays, the terms have been changed and the reasons fitted to our needs. With time and practice, the real story often becomes lost.
I have no problem with the way anyone celebrates the Thanksgiving holiday. To each his or her own, I say. But I try every year to remember what the day is about for me. The holidays should be a personal celebration, if you celebrate the way I described above, great. We don't. Oh, we have a feast, complete with Roasted Turkey, Dressing (no stuffing...we live in the South) and all that goes with it, but we don't do the TV thing. If the TV is on, we might watch old movies or something on the History Channel. But mostly we gather in the livngroom and sit around talking. Imagine that! I LOVE it. I look forward to it so much.
This year we are celebrating Thanksgiving a little differently. We are not celebrating on Thursday, we are gathering together at my home on Saturday. There is a very practical reason for this change. My brother and his family are celebrating Thanksgiving Day on Thursday with my Sister In Laws family. My Oldest daughter is celebrating with my Son In Laws family and my middle daughter is celebrating with her boyfriends family. So, in self defense, I proclaimed that our celebration would be on Saturday and that way I can have them all to myself! They won't have to run off to another house to eat yet another huge meal. They can stay here and we can have our round table talk, the children can all run and play to their hearts content. It will be heavenly!
So....you see what I mean about making the holiday a personal celebration. After all it is all about what we are thankful for the most, right? Me? I'm Thankful for my wonderful husband, who is my love, helper, and soul mate, for our beautiful, talented and intelligent daughters, for our Son In Law and the one I hope will be our Son In Law someday. I'm Thankful for my precious Grandchildren, they are a delight everyday. I'm Thankful for my Parents and my Husbands parents, my Brothers and Brother in law, and their families. I'm Thankful for my friends, both online and the ones I'm blessed to see if not daily, then often. I'm Thankful for my CMA Brothers and Sisters and the Ministry we share.
But most of all....I'm Thankful for my Savior, Jesus Christ and the gift of His Saving Grace.
Now go out and make this day yours~
Blessings~
Kat
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