Respect Thanksgiving?
Growing up, I loved making crafts at school and preparing to give them to my Mom. I remember a necklace I made one year out of paperclips and tape. I know there is a picture of me wearing it with my turkey hat standing next to my cousin at our family get together (somewhere…).
I love that memory.
But, Thanksgiving changed as I grew up and become a wife and mom. It took on new responsibilities and expectations (I placed on myself). I began to lose the ‘magic’ surrounding Thanksgiving and began losing my own respect for the holiday and daily living and I didn’t even realize that until someone opened my eyes to the truth.
God used that friend…
I’ll never forget the first time she made a comment about the ‘holiday’ that so many people forget or fail to realize it’s importance. We were in a little preschool and talking about plans for all of the sweet little ones who were working hard to learn songs, make crafts and enjoy a day of celebration (at school) with their parents. Until then, it really hadn’t dawned on me that people didn’t respect Thanksgiving.
She helped me grow a new love for Thanksgiving with my own ‘little’ children. To hear them sing songs, pretend to be turkeys or pilgrims, running around and just enjoying being children. So young, naive and unaware of anything political… it was just fun and filled with true thanks for all that we have been blessed with (the good and the bad).
But respect?
That thought has been mulling around in my mind as my littles are now, well, not-so-little anymore.
I only have one child left who isn’t taller than me and I’m placing books on his head every day to keep him little. That’s tongue in cheek, of course. I honestly can’t wait to see the young man he grows into. His big brother and sister are already making me proud and are definitely keeping me on my toes.
respect
But respect?
Respect is lost in today’s society: it’s something we’re failing to do – this respect thing. We need more respect and Thanksgiving is a good time to start showing it.
It doesn’t matter what religion you follow, what language you speak, where you’re from or your socio-economic status.
Respect is something anyone can have for others. So, this year, I want to show a little respect for Thanksgiving. It’s a beautiful day we put aside to give Thanks for all of the blessings we have. No matter how abundant or sparse those blessings may be, the truth is, we all have something to be thankful for and why not begin with being thankful for Respect. Being Thankful for Thanksgiving…
Let’s just Respect Thanksgiving and not make it about the day that comes after. Let’s remember the beauty of the day and why it came to be. After all, that’s the reason the day after Thanksgiving exists.
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I don’t think I ever felt much magic around the day, but I’m reminded every day lately how much I have to be thankful for. I honestly get so bogged down with the idea of cooking a big meal for just my family that I don’t want to do it at all. It’s not like we have an actual harvest to bring in, or tummies that ever go hungry enough to find a feast to be the best use of our time. And now that the rest of the country gives precious little thanks to the One who actually deserves it, it’s not really a collective holiday anymore, but an excuse to gorge ourselves and drink too much. I think some people like the football aspect of it, too. I’m not knocking it, but most of the people who want to come have Thanksgiving with us are too far away, and the rest rely on me for all the cooking and ignore me while they spend their time doing pretty much what they’d do any other day, so count me out. I’m thankful every day, believe me, and I love a good holiday, but this one makes no sense for me any more. I don’t think it ever did.