I know it's a few days overdue but here's my first ever Thanksgiving post in honour of one the best holidays I've ever heard of.
Brief Politically Incorrect History Lesson: Thanksgiving is a North American tradition which takes place on the 3rd Thursday in November every year (in the US at least) during which time people gather with family to consume copious amounts of food and remind themselves what it is in their lives that they are grateful for. This is supposedly modeled after a meal the first English pilgrims had with the native Americans before murdering them and stealing most of their homeland for their own but we wont go too far into that right now.
End of Lesson.
I spent my Thanksgiving with a group of people I consider to be family and enjoyed a delicious meal consisting mostly of mashed potatoes and turkey on my part while watching the worst Green Bay Packers game I have yet witnessed in my 3 seasons as a fan. It was a wonderful occasion all around.
Now that I have the formalities covered it's time for what I really came here to write about today. So what am I thankful for? I think a better question would be: what am I not thankful for?
I am thankful for all of my friends and family (both blood and honorary). I am thankful for everyone whose life I have made an impact on and for everyone who has ever made an impact on mine. I am thankful for everything that has brought me to where I am today and for everything that is yet to happen to me to carry me through to the next great adventure in my life. I am thankful for my ability to think, write and play music, things which have been critical to my life so far and that I hope will continue to be at the core of my existence. I am thankful for things as they were, things as they are and things as they will be. These are the things that I am thankful for and while thanksgiving reminds me to consciously say thank you for them, these are the things I am grateful for every day. These are the things that pull me out of bed every morning and push me in the direction of my dreams.
I love Thanksgiving because it reminds us of who we really are, the great things we have in our lives, and the great people we are blessed to be able to share in the lives of. The sad side of Thanksgiving is that like every other holiday, its meaning tends to get lost in the acts of overeating and worrying about the Christmas season. While I'm not one to push religion upon anyone I do believe that the greatest good that comes from organised religion is that through prayer it reminds us to say thank you and appreciate what we have.
As we head into December and Christmas approaches I hope that we all remember in all of the hustle and bustle to say thank you for what we have and enjoy the holiday season with our families instead of trampling each other in Black Friday sales or stressing about money issues.
Don't just let Thanksgiving pass you by, make every day thanksgiving and remember the positives in your life. There are many, and they always outweigh the negatives...always!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!
