Thanksgiving Cheer!

Make the Most of the Holiday

Thanksgiving Comes But Once a Year

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973)

Thanksgiving comes but once a year and it is up to us to make the most of the holiday. As I have said in earlier posts I was not able to spend Thanksgiving with my family last year so it is especially important that the holiday this year is filled with Thanksgiving cheer! While I am thrilled to be spending the holiday at home with my family I think they may be more excited about my presence than I am. My Dad is busy in the kitchen prepping all of the elements of our Thanksgiving meal including a few of my own special requests. My Mom is visibly overjoyed and just turned on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day  parade. My Grandpa is standing quietly observing the scene. And I am sitting at my kitchen counter, writing this blog, and taking in all the beautiful aromas that are escaping from the kitchen. The house feels warm and festive. Our home is oozing with excitement and anticipation as we all await the arrival of our many guests. I am doing everything I can to share in the joy that the rest of my family is overtly displaying. I need to make the most the holiday not just for me but for the rest of my family as well. They are ecstatic that I am with them for Thanksgiving this year. It only comes but once a year but for me this day needs to be extra special because it is making up for the Thanksgiving that I missed last year. We have waited 731 days for today and therefore we need to be sure that it is filled with an excess of cheer, gratitude, and love. To help us all get in the spirit and make the most of the holiday I am choosing to share a few affirmations that cater to the specific themes I'd like to emphasize in this entry: thankfulness, family, and happiness-

To grow in thankfulness I'll concentrate upon the true gifts I've received and contemplate how these treasures can be spread.

Today I appreciate the love and support that my family offers me. I appreciate my ability to pull myself up in life because of the support from my family. Today I will let my family know how much I appreciate them.

I know that a happy life is no more than an accumulation of happy moments.

I chose these affirmations because collectively they encompass everything I'd like to touch upon and because I believe that these three themes- thankfulness, family, and happiness- will enable us to make the most of this Thanksgiving. But, as always, if numerous affirmations is overwhelming or too much for you to focus on just choose the one that best suits you and your needs. And of course you can liberally adjust and combine the affirmations so that you are able to create one that is perfect for you. For example-

To grow in thankfulness I'll concentrate upon the gifts I have received, including the love and support of my family, and contemplate how I can share my appreciation and happiness today.

OR-

I know that a happy life is no more than an accumulation of happy moment and I will enjoy the abundance of happy moments that this Thanksgiving Day will bring.

Helps bring me my Thanksgiving cheer !

These affirmations are meant to help you so don't feel nervous about reworking them, rephrasing them, combining them, or adding to them so that they apply to you and your life. Use the affirmation that will best help to fill you with thanksgiving cheer and enable you to make the most of the holiday. Once a year we have the opportunity to celebrate a holiday that is dedicated solely to recognizing and expressing our thanks. We have the gift of a day off from our typical lives- work, school, responsibility- and it is up to us to make the most of it by enjoying our families, engaging in happiness, and appreciating the blessings that we have been given. Thanksgiving is a unique holiday. It is not about gifts or decorations. It is not about spending money or meeting expectations. This holiday is purely about sharing thanks, spreading joy, and feeling love. I encourage you to focus on these themes as you celebrate today. Thanksgiving comes but once a year and by concentrating on the things that matter we will be able to make the most of it!

"But Thanksgiving is more than eating...Those early Pilgrims were thankful for what had happened to them, and we should be thankful, too. We should just be thankful for being together. I think that's what they mean by 'Thanksgiving.'"

- Marcie, from the animated film, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving 

Feel and spread the Thanksgiving cheer with your family and friends,

xo

Happy Thanksgiving!

I grew up singing this song in school at our annual "Thanksgiving All School Assembly." It is beautiful, heart felt, and holds a lot of special meaning for me. I hope that you are able to enjoy it as much as I do.

For the Beauty of the Earth, John Rutter