UNcommon Sense: Thankful

Each November, the Thanksgiving Holiday is a time many families spend with extended family and friends over a meal. While there is certainly a great deal of history related to this particular holiday, it still is a time many of us pause to reflect. Merriam-Webster defines thankful as an expression of gratitude. It also suggests synonyms such as appreciation and gratefulness. We are all keenly aware of the challenges being faced in the world and in our own country.

Even in the face of all that, I suspect if we think on it long enough, every one of us can identify one reason we have to be thankful.

I have a lot of wonderful memories of Thanksgiving over the years. As I reflect back though, one Thanksgiving in particular stands out. I don't recall how old I was exactly but I suspect I was around 9. We were having Thanksgiving at my Memaw and Poppa Frog's house. When I got there, I noticed the turkey was not in the kitchen but in instead the backyard. No, it was not about to be cooked in the backyard, it was actually very much alive and running around. Please understand, I have long been a proud meat-a-terian. This, of course is a made-up term to represent those of us who are the opposite of vegetarians. Even with my passion to eat proteins, this particular Thanksgiving was the first time I can remember seeing my meal alive before eating it. To say the least, it made an impression.

We eventually sat down for the meal around my grandmother's table. Prior to eating, some shared what they were thankful for that year but all I could think about was what I had just witnessed. Now nearly 45 years later, I can easily recall that day's events. At my young age, I didn't have a great understanding or appreciation for being thankful. The only perspective I had on that day was thank goodness I wasn't the turkey. As rudimentary as that thought was, it still was perceptive. I had no control over my situation at that point in my life. I was born here, was living here, and going to school here. None of those things were my choice, but they were my good fortune. I was blessed to be born in the United States. I was blessed to have two parents and a large family who loved and supported me. I was very blessed to be healthy and alive.

Sure there were things going on in the world in the 1970s that were not good. President Nixon had resigned a few years before. We were coming off the Vietnam War. The nation was struggling with an energy crisis which was crippling American families. At 9 years old, I was oblivious to all of those things. Maybe our constant awareness of today's challenges is what makes feeling thankful so hard. We are bombarded and consumed by negativity, yet the truth is, we all still have things for which to be thankful.

We finished our Thanksgiving meal that day and then watched a ballgame. I don't remember who we watched or even who won. That wasn't what the day was about anyway. It was about slowing down long enough to actually interact with one another and to have conversations. Ultimately it was about gaining some perspective and acknowledging that I was grateful.

There is plenty of time ahead to spend worrying or being frustrated. I hope this Thanksgiving each one of us can pause, if only for a moment, and focus on some things for which we can be grateful. If you need help finding something, at least be grateful you are not a turkey. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday!