From the Heart: Thanksgiving Thoughts

This Thanksgiving I am in a spot of reflection. Reflecting on what these commercialized Holidays mean to me..really. What message am I to pass onto my Children about the Holiday season? As I watched all the commercials and receive all the Black Friday adds I started to feel like Charlie Brown on their Christmas Movie...What is this all about? "Ho,Ho,Ho and mistletoe"?? Death by trampling anyone? No need to get that from "the Running of the Bulls, you can grab one at your local Walmart on a "killer" Black Friday deal..or should we say as it perverts itself into our Thanksgiving more and more each year.."Green Thursday."

That's really what its all about anymore...the "Green" ..the money. Listening to the clever jingles on the commercials telling us to," drop the dishes and grab the keys" from our Thanksgiving day. Every year it seems to be the "proper" thing to pull us more and more away from our families and fight more to "keep up with the Jones." You know little Tommy needs to have his flat screen television in his room, I-pad, Ipod, Kindle, Nook, Play-Station3, and he MUST have the I-phone5. Really??Do you need more reasons not to talk? Do any of us know anymore how to be Thankful? Of course we say Thank you...but is it only for the "stuff?" We Americans are a spoiled people, and out of sight out of mind.

Worrying about what others have and making sure we are up to speed with them. We spoil our children, so any thoughts of going without anything is like amputation of the leg. Since this is what is expected, placing pressure on the families that trying to moderate, or that are trying to keep the "real meaning" of the holidays.for their families to "follow suit." Seeing all the hustle bustle of it all loosing what we should be seeing. Having a real heartfelt conversation with your children, knowing who they are, and who they are becoming. Being Thankful for the blessings that we have daily, but looking beyond ourselves. I feel true thankfulness infects your heart, so that you have no choice but to look beyond yours and your families blessing, but having to pass that on so that others are blessed as well. So, I challenge you..Do you know what your local soup Kitchen did today? Do you know where it is at? Did you know that the homeless have to leave the shelters and find someplace to go from about 8am-4pm in this cold weather,even children. There are a few agencies that try to help with those problems..but they need volunteers. Do you know that there are Mothers or Fathers that are trying to figure out what to feed their children, let alone a big fancy meal. Did you know that the state of West Virginia has so many babies entering into the Foster system with a lack of foster parents, that they have to send some out of state? There is a child that if you don't pick their star off the tree, may not get Christmas presents. So many people out of their homes for the holidays due to all the natural disasters..and that one you can spin the globe, close your eyes and point, and you will most likely select a place that needs help.

So am i going to tell you what the holidays should mean to you? No. What I am going to hopefully show you is the importance of self-reflection and readjusting our priorities. I will say that I have great hope that when people take time and really think about what the holidays mean..what our actual blessings are..I think we will almost all agree that, they are NOT what these stores and businesses try to make it into. And if that is the case..why do we fall into their demands? I will leave you with this question...the one I have been asking myself as well, in determining what you are truly thankful for, and all your big and small blessings in your life...Are you and I being that blessing for someone else? I truly hope you all have an amazingly blessed Thanksgiving, Don't just get someone to smile by chance..Do it with purpose and great intentions!