Being Thankful

What are you thankful for? A raise? Your family? A medical miracle? You here so people talking, you can see it on their faces the joy and the happiness the season brings. But what about the other ten months of the year? During the holiday season, most people are pleasant, you can feel the love and the kindness radiating from mall to mall; store to store.

Have you ever wondered what makes people feel good about Thanksgiving and Christmas? Is it the music? I don’t think so! How do you feel when you hear the song “What do the Lonely Do at Christmas?” I was lonely for 40 years before I had someone special to spend Christmas with. Or, the song “Please come home for Christmas, but if you can’t at least by New Year’s Night." When I was young, I didn’t know the meaning of the songs. I knew that as children we would gather at home with family and friends both near and far. It was a joyous time. We didn’t have a lot of toys or presents under the tree, but we had each other and we treasured those moments. For that, I am truly thankful! My heart always smiles when I think of the Christmas when my stepfather gave me a vinyl album by Eddie Kendrick. Life was simple and so good!

Today we are blessed in so many ways, but at the same time, we are cursed. A phone call and a visit was the thing back in the day. You enjoyed hearing the voices of your loved ones over the phone or stopping by their home to get a bit of “glad tidings.” Today we have become careless, with our love and appreciation of family and friends. We text to say happy holiday; not knowing, or sometimes not caring whether the person received the message. Have we forgotten the beauty of communication? Hearing our loved one’s voices. What will you do or say when that person is no longer with you? Will you remember their voice, their laughter; the essence of who they are?

Its time to give thanks and be grateful for your family and friends. Be mindful; show kindness; be present in your love one’s life. Stopped getting caught up in trends! Chart your own course, and be the jewel you were created to be! As the year comes to an end, take the time to reflect and give thanks!