If you are a typical family, your day may start out with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade which you will sort of watch.  Sometime during the day you will sit down to the feast.  The adults will be seated around the grown up table and the younger crowd will be at the kids’ table where I can guarantee there will be mischief afoot.  The feast will consist of turkey, potatoes, stuffing and gravy.  You might have some squash or maybe yams and you will probably  have a salad or a dessert that are family traditions passed down from your own parents.  You will share stories, eat too much (it is a requirement), and then you will either watch football or complain about football.  If it is your team playing, you might be doing both.  Somewhere, in the course of the day, you will find a way to list the things you are thankful for or at least you will try.

In America we are generally blessed with a reasonably comfortable life.  We are after all, the land of opportunity.  The problem is that too many of us will still be looking for more.  We will look to compare ourselves to others, who in our perception, are better off than we are and ask why we can’t have that too.  If only we would look in the other direction and find those people who are in need, who aren’t enjoying the comfortable life, who actually have less.  If we did that, we would begin to realize how blessed we really are.  From that very different view point, we would realize all the things we can and should be thankful for.

“Give thanks”, that’s the line we hear over and over at this time of year.  I do believe that we need to give thanks but I challenge anyone still reading to actually take this time to give.  Find those people or organizations that are in need and give.  You can give money, that’s easy, or maybe clothing or food.  Maybe you can give time.  Time to help someone in need due to a financial condition or maybe unable to take care of the tasks they need done due to a handicap or old age.  Maybe it’s just reaching out to that person you have lost touch with or to someone who is alone and needs companionship even if it is just a brief visit.  But understand, you must give from your very best.  Not from the things you don’t want.  Make the gift count by making it meaningful.

Thanksgiving is the time to give thanks and enjoy time with your family and traditions.  But if you can rise to my challenge, you just may find out how much greater the season can truly be.  Not just for the person or persons you help but for your own soul.  Tis the season to be thankful and with a little sacrifice….maybe thanked as well.