A Day of Gratitude

As I was sitting back thinking of what my Mom was going to prepare for “Turkey Day” this year – the only meal of the year that can be eaten, literally guilt free – I also began thinking of the many reasons why we’ve become so fond of this Day of Thanksgiving.

I believe it’s because, along with the usual turkey, stuffing, mashed-potatoes, corn, green beans and Mom’s famous pecan pie (just to name a few of the excellent dishes prepared that day), that we also serve up hefty portions of:

Gratitude – for having a country to appreciate, a family to honor and a loving home to visit over the holidays;
Happiness – from opening our hearts in unison to family, friends and strangers alike;
Pride – not only in who we are now, but also in who we have the potential to become;
Forgiveness – towards others, because we’ve all done something that needs forgiving;
Hope – that we can all share another blessed Thanksgiving dinner together next year;
Faith – In knowing that no matter what obstacles lie before us, we have the God-given inner strength to pull through
Love – to remember that this is the greatest gift you can give mankind.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, these positive feelings come easy, and are a huge reason why this day is so cherished and celebrated. The true test of perpetuation, however, comes after the leftovers are stored away in the refirgerator and the last china dish is returned safely to its proper place in the cupboard.

Although grateful and humbled that we can all appreciate this remarkable day – a day that brings us all closer to the Oneness that we truly are – imagine how quickly we could transform this community, this town, and even our world if we just preserved those positive attitudes in our prevalent minds and transferred them into acts of kindness in our daily lives.

So, on this 388th year of celebrating Thanksgiving, we extend an invitation to you to continue expressing these feelings of “thanksgiving-ness” for more than just one Thursday in November. Let’s see how quickly we can transform the world by sharing one genuine act of kindness at a time – and if we’re successful, we could very well be celebrating this Day of Gratitude year-round.

Debra Dynes
The People of GreatNewsMontgomery.com