Don't Forget Thanksgiving!

I'm as much a fan of Christmas as anyone. I'd love to have the space and the money to go all out decorating. But today, November 21, I saw homes with outdoor Christmas lights already lit. Hello...can we celebrate Thanksgiving first?

It seems that Thanksgiving was a bigger holiday when I was a kid. I admit, my perspective may be clouded by the nostalgia for childhood. But I remember making turkey and Pilgrim decorations. I remember watching the Macy's parade when it was primarily a parade; there were floats and balloons, and not so many pauses for songs and dance numbers.

I understand that the Thanksgiving story I learned in school may not be historically accurate. But the general idea is the same. There were people who weren't satisfied with their lives, so they took action. It wasn't an easy path. But somewhere along the line, they realized that things were going to get better. They had hope for the future, and paused to give thanks for what they had at that moment in time.

Time permitting, I'll write more about reminding myself to be thankful. But for now, I just want to speak out on behalf of a celebration that seems to get squeezed out more each year by Christmas. If you don't look closely, you'll only see back-to-school followed by Halloween sliding right into Christmas.

Don't forget about November! Don't forget Thanksgiving!