Thanksgiving

I don't know about you, but it seems to me that Christmas is taking over Thanksgiving.  Not that Christmas is bad, but I don't like the fact that it's the 4th of November and there are already Black Friday ads out.  That's a bit ridiculous to me...  Thanksgiving is a great holiday that should be recognized as such; a time where we get together with family and friends, and take the time to be thankful for everything that we have.  But it seems the corporate world doesn't want anything to do with that.  My guess is that they have decided that there is more money in selling Christmas presents than there is in people being thankful for what they have.  But what they are really doing is teaching this nation and this world to want more stuff rather than be thankful for everything they already have. 

I mean really, how many of us out there don't have the basics in life - food, water, a roof over our heads and clothes on our body?  Granted, there are those who are homeless and are in need of some, if not all, of those basics, but the vast majority of us have all of that and more.  We have more than enough food in our fridges and cabinets, more than a weeks' worth of clothes in our closet, electricty and water to heat our homes and wash our bodies and clothes, we have TV's, computers, cell phones, dvd players, and so much more.  But the big companies are telling us that that isn't enough - that we need more STUFF to make us happy.  We need bigger and better TV's; we need name brand clothing; we need the newest and hottest phones and apps and home appliances.  We need all the new game systems and the games to go with them and we need yet another DVD to add to our collection. 

We are told that we are helping the economy, and that's all fine and dandy, if us buying junk we really don't need is going to help, but what about those homeless people I spoke of earlier?  Who is helping them?  Maybe there is a homeless shelter in the town they are currently sleeping under a bridge in; maybe there is a job training center in that town, too.  But what if there isn't?  Take Seguin for instance - we don't have a homeless shelter, nor do we have the jobs to support the homeless people that would flock to the shelter if we did have one.  So what do the homeless people of Seguin do? Where do they go when the cold winter wind blows and the rain pours out of the sky? 

I guess I am passionate about this subject because my brother is, in fact, mostly homeless.  He is one of the lucky few that can usually find a friends' or relatives' house to crash out at when the nights get too cold, but for the most part, he sleeps in a cemetery.  I will say that this was mostly his doing;  he burned his bridges and he understands that he is paying the price now for it, but it doesn't change the fact that he's homeless.  I truly can't imagine spending a night like tonight, where it is supposed to get down to 39 degrees, without a heavy-duty coat, or a blanket to keep warm in, or even food in my belly to help my body stay warm.  I'm not sure anyone could, unless they have experienced it.

I read a Facebook status a few weeks ago that read, "What would happen if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?"  That really got me to thinking: What did I thank God for today?  It was then that I realized I didn't often thank God for what I had.  More often than not, I was asking God for help here, and can you do that for me over there, and that sort of thing.  I realize that if I had woken up with only what I had thanked Him for the day before, I wouldn't have much.  I have now made it a point, in my nightly prayers, to thank God for the most important things in my life - my husband, my two boys, my parents, grandparents, and friends, and health for all of the above.  Everything else is temporary.  We can't take all our accumulated stuff with us when we die, can we?  I don't think so.  So what's the point of buying all this new stuff at Christmas time, or asking people for gifts that we know we can't take with us?  There isn't one.  I mean, sure, it's nice to buy things for the people you love in order to show them that you love them, but is it really necessary to spend hundreds of dollars every year buying things for people that in a months' time, probably won't remember who gave it to them?

My point is, that it's time to stop focusing on what we want for Christmas, and start focusing on what we have that we wouldn't want to live without.  And not just at this time of year.  I believe that if the people of this country were more thankful on a daily basis for what they have, instead of lusting after something they really want, but obviously don't need, this world would be a much happier, more optimistic place to live in. 

So here is my pledge:  For the next 30 days, I am going to post a picture, either here or on my facebook page, of something that I am thankful for that day.  Today shall be day one.  I am thankful for my husband (who isn't here at the moment for me to take a picture of, so I'll just post one from the other night).  He has gone above and beyond for me and my kids, and I will never be able to thank him enough for the unfailing love he has shown me.  I would not be who I am today without him, and I haven't done much to earn his love for me; but he's still here, and I am truly thankful for that each and every day.