A good friend of mine recently said that his least favorite thing about Christmas is that it overshadows Thanksgiving. I strongly echo that sentiment. Thanksgiving has and will always be one of my all-time favorite holidays. It’s a perfect time to sit down and reflect on our lives and declare that we’re thankful for all the comforts we’re endowed with.
It is, however, easy to get lost in that and to forget the point of this (quite brief) holiday season. Thanksgiving is not about taking school off (though that’s nice) or about the glorious feast that many of us can’t wait to eat (as delicious as that might be). It’s certainly not about studying for finals or watching the Michigan game, either.
Quite simply, Thanksgiving is about being thankful. It’s a time meant to be spent with our loved ones, thinking about what really matters and how we should be grateful and thankful for our lives.
The potentially sad part about the holiday is that some don’t get to experience that gratefulness. As disruptive as some of our hardships and turmoils might be, we tend to forget that the majority of us still have a good roof over our heads and family or friends to spend time with.
A lot of people, even around us in central Ohio, don’t have that simple comfort that we take for granted. Almost 250,000 Ohioans receive food and other aid from the Mid Ohio Food Bank, according to Feed America.
As we sit down and have dinner among our loved ones, let’s think of that. Let’s remind ourselves of all the great things we have in our lives. But let’s not forget about the simple comforts each one of us has — whether that’s an adequate meal or simple shelter — and remember those who don’t. The holidays are about giving and sharing, and this is especially true for Thanksgiving. Let’s not forget that holiday spirit.
