So it’s that time of year again. We cook up a turkey and spend an afternoon listening to Aunt Josephine rattle on about her gout. Sometimes I really wonder what the meaning of all this really is. Are we honoring our thankfulness – a virtue we should have all year round – or is it a big marketing plan from the turkey farmers and cranberry growers?
In truth, I think it is a little of both.
It burns my britches that we take only one day out of the year to show our gratitude toward one another. Shouldn’t we do this all the time? Sure, we probably say “thank you” when someone passes the salt (though my experience proves this isn’t always true), but do we say thank you for other things? The Golden Girls thanked each other for being a friend every week with their catchy theme song. But a television sitcom is a far cry from daily practice.
So here’s what I want you to do this Thanksgiving.
Tell people “Thank you.” Tell them thank you for everything. Start with “Thanks for making this beautiful turkey.” Follow up with “Thank you for inviting me over.” Then do it again the next day. It doesn’t have to be obvious. You don’t have to pick up the phone and call every one of your friends every day to say things you’ve wracked your brain to think up. Instead, let it be natural. Thank the barista for making your coffee. Thank your mail guy as you see him walking down your street. Thank the people who make every day great. And if you’re having a bad day, be sure to keep thanking people. Being thankful makes us happier so you’ll see your mood start to shift as you focus on gratitude rather than your crappy day. It may not make the crappy stuff less crappy, but it can make everything else feel pretty good.
Let’s kick this holiday off the right way and learn how to be thankful all year rather than just one day.
