November 21: I'm Thankful For:
Thanksgiving.
I love this holiday. We get to focus on the festivities without feeling guilty about missing "the bigger picture." To me, the festivities are the big picture - the foods we eat, the company we keep, the preparations to honor both. We're thankful for this bounty on our table, these guests around it. And leftovers to look forward to don't hurt!
And Thanksgiving does not have to mean excess. It doesn't have to mean driving yourself crazy making 10 side dishes and 6 kinds of pie. In fact, in a way, I think that kind of perverts the spirit of the holiday. I believe Thanksgiving should be a time of deliberate consciousness - of being aware of all our blessings, whatever they may be. And gnashing your teeth over preparations for a 12-course dinner that leaves you and your guests lying on the floor in a pie coma is not exactly conducive to that.
Eat turkey or tofu, have sweet potatoes and stuffing, indulge in pie, watch the parade, go for a walk ~ and enjoy it all. But remember that the simpler you make it, the easier it will be to focus on exactly what you have to be grateful for.
I'm writing this down so I can remind myself when it's time to start cooking.
What are you thankful for today?
I love this holiday. We get to focus on the festivities without feeling guilty about missing "the bigger picture." To me, the festivities are the big picture - the foods we eat, the company we keep, the preparations to honor both. We're thankful for this bounty on our table, these guests around it. And leftovers to look forward to don't hurt!
And Thanksgiving does not have to mean excess. It doesn't have to mean driving yourself crazy making 10 side dishes and 6 kinds of pie. In fact, in a way, I think that kind of perverts the spirit of the holiday. I believe Thanksgiving should be a time of deliberate consciousness - of being aware of all our blessings, whatever they may be. And gnashing your teeth over preparations for a 12-course dinner that leaves you and your guests lying on the floor in a pie coma is not exactly conducive to that.
Eat turkey or tofu, have sweet potatoes and stuffing, indulge in pie, watch the parade, go for a walk ~ and enjoy it all. But remember that the simpler you make it, the easier it will be to focus on exactly what you have to be grateful for.
I'm writing this down so I can remind myself when it's time to start cooking.
What are you thankful for today?
Thanksgiving is my very favorite holiday! When I was a kid I didn't like it because we had to get all dressed up and there was always a lot of tension in my house with the preparations for relatives, etc coming over. Now, it's just my mom, my brother and I and we make a huge dinner in our sweatpants and then watch movies and I couldn't like it better!
ReplyDelete~Maris: That sounds like a wonderful way to spend Thanksgiving!! I try not to put too much pressure on my fam to do holiday cleaning and I don't make the kids dress up ~ I have the same memories you do!
ReplyDeleteMy parents cook a huge meal, my sister and I both bring dishes, and my in-laws come too. It's pretty relaxed at this stage in the game, so we can all wear sweatpants if we like! Have a great Thanksgiving!