I don’t know the exact reasons why, but Thanksgiving just seems to always be one of my favorite holidays, and every year it just keeps getting more and more special.
Maybe it’s just a function of getting older and learning to appreciate things that I probably used to take for granted. Maybe it’s watching my kids, nieces and nephews grow up and embrace the traditions that my parents instilled in me.
Or maybe in our Post Covid world, it’s just an understanding that the future is not guaranteed and these special moments are fleeting, few & far in-between so they get to be cherished as if they are the last time you will ever experience them.
Several years ago I wrote an article about why Thanksgiving was the best holiday and found that many of you agreed with this assessment. This year I’ve decided to come up with even more reasons why Thanksgiving outranks them all.
Ever since I was a little kid I have always loved Thanksgiving. I remember how excited I used to get on the Wednesday night before, helping my mom chop up veggies and prepare the stuffing. I also remember cleaning off the good dishes and crystal glasses in the attempt to create the perfect place setting.
One of my other jobs back then was digging out our old Westinghouse turkey roaster, which had a fire-hazard of an electric plug held together by 30 years worth of black electrical tape. I think my brother still has that old thing which again proves they don’t make em like they used to.
The next day our grandparents would come over early to help out and then play cards with my parents all afternoon as football games played on our old school TV with no remote control to ever change the channel. The smell of turkey roasting always reminds me of my grandparents and now reminds me of my mom as well.
Those vivid memories alone would probably be enough to make this one of the best holidays, but I’ve learned over the years there is so much more.
Thanksgiving is also the kickoff of the holiday season, which is always exciting and probably yet another reason why I’ve held this particular holiday as one of my favorites and pretty sure I always will.
To refresh your memory these were the original top 10 reasons why Thanksgiving is the best holiday of them all.
- Short week! Nuff said.
- Fall is my favorite time of year and Thanksgiving is the culminating event.
- Football anyone? My family plays an annual game every Friday after Thanksgiving, better stock up on ice packs and icy hot. There is also plenty of real football to watch this weekend as well-Go Blue!
- Any holiday that actually makes it ok to eat a bit too much is fine by me!
- First pumpkin pie of the season, don’t forget the cool whip.
- The only shopping involved is a longer than usual trip to the grocery store.
- No gift giving necessary.
- Family-Friends-and not a lot of pressure to do too much.
- Leftovers in the fridge
- Taking the time to appreciate and give thanks for everything you have in your life is always a good thing.
Here are 11 more reasons why I Love Thanksgiving
- Lucy is never going to let Charlie Brown kick that football, but every year I root for him to make a field goal.
- Breaking the wishbone and winning just makes me smile!
- My house is never as clean as it is on Thanksgiving Day and there is finally some urgency to fix a few nagging items around the house.
- Running into old friends that make it back into town to see their families over the weekend.
- The Michigan-Ohio State football rivalry is still one of the best in any sport.
- I love a parade!
- It’s now actually ok to start listening to the Christmas music station on your radio, even though it’s already been playing since Halloween.
- All the eating I’m about to do reminds me to get in an extra workout or two.
- Great weekend to catch up on my Netflix series.
- No one is going to call, email or text me about anything related to work.
- Being thankful and spending uninterrupted time with family and friends never seems to get old.
Please post your reasons why Thanksgiving is a special holiday for you, and make sure to share the day with those that you are thankful to have in your life!
Thoughts for the week:
If you are really thankful, what do you do? You share. –W. Clement Stone
Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse. –Henry Van Dyke
Be thankful for what you have. Your life, no matter how bad you think it is, is someone else’s fairy tale. –Wale Ayena
I am grateful for what I am and what I have. My thanksgiving is perpetual. –Henry David Thoreau
Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough. –Oprah Winfrey
If the only prayer you said in your life was “Thank you,” that would suffice.
–Meister Eckhart
Thanksgiving dinners take 18 hours to prepare and are consumed in12 minutes. Half-time takes 12 minutes. This is not a coincidence. –Erma Bombeck
Happy Thanksgiving!
Looking forward to our next connection
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