I sat in church this morning and listened to the minister talk about the Canadian Thanksgiving, and it always brings a smile to my face because I remember the days when I was younger and would often travel to my relatives up north and enjoy a big feast – only to come home and have it again in November! You have to love any excuse to cook and/or eat a big meal! Feels like Christmas is just around the corner!! I know – don’t talk about it right!?
I also heard through the grapevine that people are buying their children gifts for Thanksgiving. Don’t you think this kind of defeats the purpose of being thankful for what you HAVE and not wanting MORE?? I couldn’t believe it when I heard that. I know the world is changing and the younger generations are being brought up more materialistic – but really? Presents at Thanksgiving?? What next – presents for coloring your hair day? Or maybe we’ll just start making up holidays to give each other gifts – because God knows we are greedy enough now!
I think it’s important to teach children (and remind ourselves) that there are countries out there where they don’t know what it’s like to celebrate a birthday, let alone have a big feast to celebrate Thanksgiving. Imagine what it must be like to just hear about what we’re doing and now living it. Why don’t we see that? Sure, we can’t save the world – and I’ll be honest and say I often change the channel when the commercials come on with the starving children with flies crawling all over them comes on – but that doesn’t mean I don’t ‘get it’. I wish I could do more. I am trying to teach my children to see the things I’ve missed, and my son is actually going on a trip to Uganda next year to help out in an orphange and to dig wells and help build a school for underprivileged children. My daughter volunteers at the hospital where children are dying every day. I can’t begin to imagine where they get their strength.
Please remember this Thanksgiving – whether you’ve celebrated it this weekend or will look forward to it next month – that we are so very blessed to live where we live – and to have the freedom to bitch about the things we don’t like… instead of dealing with destruction and despair on a daily basis.
Have a great week everyone! Six paycheques to Christmas. Sorry – I couldn’t resist!!! EEK!
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