I was a little overwhelmed running errands at the very beginning of the month when I was greeted with Christmas decorations overflowing the shelves of the stores and Christmas music wafting it’s way throughout the mall.
Seriously?
Don’t get me wrong, I ADORE Christmas just like the rest of the world, but where’s the room for my “thankful month?” Can’t it get a little more airtime in between the spooks of Halloween and the jolly glow of Christmas?
So I’m bedazzling my blog (indulge me by allowing me to call putting a new blog header on as “bedazzling” because really, I’m a very plain and simple girl) and letting thankfulness seep out of it until December 1st, because hey, I LOVE Thanksgiving.
I love the family gatherings and the smells and the food and the feelings of it all, but mostly I love to have a moment to contemplate blessings, to help my kids soak in what they’re thankful for. Whether those blessings reflected upon are small or large, whether they are realized forcefully by a big event or by gradual increments, I love the feeling in my heart of being thankful.
Right now I can hear Dave hanging with Lucy outside my room (where I’m supposed to be preparing something for our Primary Leadership meeting tonight) and my heart is overflowing with love for them both…how their voices meld together and melt my heart. I hear my kids downstairs playing nicely (which I’m extra thankful for since it seems like they’ve been at each others’ throats lately) and I don’t know that I could be more thankful for my little family. For my husband who makes me laugh pretty much every day, even when I’m grumpy or super duper mad at him. I’m thankful for my life. For our country. For the gospel of Jesus Christ. For a loving Father in Heaven who I can speak to and reach to in times of trouble through prayer. I’m grateful for my parents. For their parents. For life lessons I learn every day.
Those are some of the big things….more on the little things later, because really, I’ve got a shower ready to be thankful for, and a Primary program to soak in, and my family to eat up. (Not really, but you know what I mean…)
Post edit note: I really do adore Christmas. And really, of course there’s nothing wrong with Christmas decorations and music in November…maybe they make people even more thankful with that wonderful, peaceful feeling that they bring. I’m just saying…as for me and my blog, I’m gonna draw out Thanksgiving as long as I can!
Thanks for the thought Shawni. We will have to live vicariously through you this Thanksgiving because they don't celebrate Thanksgiving in Mozambique.
I laughed when I read your comment about a new blog header because I just changed mine too, and feel like it's a whole new blog 😉 haha…
Here's to enjoying November…
Thanks for your help with my sharing time. It went well.
We had the Higgimbothums (I just butchered the spelling) in our ward today. I didn't see them but someone introduced them to Dan. I'm not sure why they were here. Also, we have Elder Granger Haviland serving in our ward right now. He says Dave was his Priest advisor. Small world. Fun to have connections up here.
Just a thought, but you could move close to me up here in Canada: Thanksgiving here is mid OCTOBER, not in November.
All that you said is so true. I feel a bit sick the day after Halloween when the Christmas flyers are inserted in our daily paper for the first time.
Everyday just needs to be Thanksgiving, eh?
Is it okay to start listening to Christmas music though? Cause I'm totally guilty of that!
here's a worthwhile place to go:
http://www.lds.org/topic/gratitude/
I love Thanksgiving!!! It gets too often lost in the Christmas commercialization that abounds. Happy Thanksgiving, my friend.
Shawni, we're trying out your Thankful Tree idea this year, and my three girls love it! At dinner each night we discuss what we're thankful for, and it's hard to stick to just one thing. This new tradition is definitely a keeper!
One Thanksgiving tradition I have is listening to the BYU Choirs' "A Thanksgiving of American Folk Hymns." There's a lot of Christmas music out there {which I love!} but this highlights Thanksgiving. One of my favorite songs on the CD is the Shaker hymn, "Simple Gifts." The words go through my mind every November and fill me with gratitude for the simple blessings in my life. It deals a pretty heavy blow to feelings of entitlement, that's for sure.
Thanks again for sharing a bit of yourself with us!