Thanksgiving 2018

Over the years, Thanksgiving has evolved into much more than just a day to ponder how much we have to be thankful for. Now it is, in practical terms, a week off for many and a fall break for students. It used to be, with Black Friday, the kickoff of shopping for the December holidays. Now, in many ways, this holiday season starts around Halloween. Thursday will be professional football, a declining turkey population, and opportunity to commercialize almost everything.

For me, one benefit of producing a regular blog, is that it does, especially in the case of Thanksgiving, force me to reflect and to think about what there is to be thankful for. It would be easy to be overwhelmed with the problems of the world that make this grandparent really worry what the world will be like for my grandchildren. Violence and limited empathy dominate much of what is happening daily.

So where is the positive? For me this year it is the realization that when one gets older, it is understandable that one can and does lose family and friends, and that the time we have with them is very valuable and we should be thankful for it. Time may be limited, but that should not be an excuse to not take advantage of every opportunity.

Have a safe and meaningful Thanksgiving experience.