Milk Maid
The dust had hardly settled on Halloween when while driving home on November 1, I heard it. The first Christmas song of the year on the radio. I couldn’t believe it.
But then again, the Hallmark channel already kicked out the Golden Girls to start playing Christmas movies, so I shouldn’t be that surprised. Plus, I know people that have already put up their Christmas trees. I’m glad everyone is excited and the Christmas season is always fun but let’s slow down and let Thanksgiving have its day.
I’m convinced that snow in early November is caused by people prematurely putting up their Christmas trees and playing non-stop Christmas music. I’m not a Grinch, in fact I love Christmas. But Thanksgiving always seems like the forgotten middle child between Halloween and Christmas. It’s an important holiday too.
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It’s like Christmas, but usually without the snow and without the stress of having to buy and give gifts. Thanksgiving is all about family, fellowship, football, the Macy’s parade and food. Who doesn’t love a holiday that celebrates food? But, the main reason for Thanksgiving is hidden right in the word.
It means to give thanks. When I was a kid at St. Edward School, we’d get to watch “VeggieTales” during religion class. VeggieTales is an American Christian franchise of children’s computer animated television shows that features sarcastic, limbless, talking fruit and vegetable characters perform in full theatrical productions that retell Bible stories in a modern way. One VeggieTales episode that I’ll always remember featured “Madame Blueberry.”
She was this fancy blueberry that had everything money could buy but she wasn’t happy. One day she was on a walk and met a little girl (I think it was an asparagus) that was celebrating her birthday.
All this girl’s family could afford was to give her a single piece of apple pie for her birthday and she sang a song about being thankful. Anyway, the blueberry learned that day that being thankful for things you have helps you have a happy heart. I’ve been seeing all over the internet different “thankful” challenges for the month of November.
One popular one is to share a photo everyday on your social media accounts of something you’re thankful for. Another popular challenge is to write a thank you note to someone different everyday. They can range from family members, friends and colleagues to complete strangers. I’ve seen people that challenge themselves to write thank you notes to leave for their mail carriers, baristas and other people that you see on a daily basis that you may take for granted.
Even on the worst of days, there is always something to be thankful for. It could be something as small as eating your favorite candy bar to the bigger things like gaining a new family member.
There is always something good in every day. Even if you’re only going to show up for the pumpkin pie, take part in a November thankfulness challenge. Keep the Christmas trees on deck and give Thanksgiving its time to shine.