How to make Thanksgiving fun, memorable and meaningful in these crazy times
2020 has been so stressful. No one is unscathed from the combined stress of the pandemic, political upheavals and social un-rest. Every child and adult seems to have absorbed this stress. Clearly those of us with a little more life experience feel it strongly! Thanksgiving, re-imagined, may give us a chance to reduce some of this stress.
Over the years, like so many holidays, Thanksgiving has become very commercialized which has diluted the meaning of this holiday. So, we thought we’d take a moment to re-envision the holiday and capture the importance of giving thanks. Thanksgiving should be meaningful, important and grounding. Thanksgiving should be about giving thanks. We need Thanksgiving this year more than ever. We did a little research and found this History Channel article that explains some things we didn’t know about the first Thanksgiving. The article is also a great reminder of how this holiday started and why we need a day to focus on giving thanks for all that we have.
Despite the craziness of 2020, we all have things to be grateful for. The fact that you can read this article means you have an education which is a huge thing to be grateful for. An education is a gift that allows us to grow; a gift that allows us to teach others; a gift that helps us become a better person. So many religions and spiritual paths encourage us to be grateful but we need to integrate this into our every living moment. We love this article on gratitude and wanted to share it: 7 Crucial Reasons Why Gratitude Can Change Your Life.
So, let’s be grateful that Thanksgiving is coming and that we have a moment to re-imagine what we might do on that day…
- Cook a more modest feast
- Go outside and enjoy the beautiful earth we live on, even if it is raining and cold.
- Reach out to someone who you know may be lonely over this holiday.
- Reach out to someone who you’ve had a falling out with – just because life is short and who knows.
- Do something to improve your mind – read an article or challenging book.
- Spread some love and joy by writing an encouraging message on your window (we think MoodClue markers are perfect for that but we may be biased).
- Take five minutes to sit and reflect on your blessings or offer up a prayer for someone other than yourself.
Give thanks.
Our MoodClue family wishes you and your family peace and serenity this Thanksgiving season.