"For many, this is one of the best days of the year!"
It started about mid-morning. As with every year, my wife bought one of the biggest birds she could find at the store. I don't know for sure how much it weighed, but I do know it was over 20 pounds. Since the bird was that size, the prep started early in the morning and soon the house was filled with the aromas we wait for all year long.
Our family is like most. Large, and sometimes rowdy. It is a challenge to keep the peace to ensure the day does not turn out to be stressful or unpleasant. There is football on, a fire in the hearth, and some fine wine served. Some churches offer worship in the morning and many charities host meals for those who have nowhere to go to share this special meal.
After the meal is finished, and the dishes rinsed, everybody retires to a comfortable chair to either visit, watch football, or maybe even a cat nap. Pies and coffee are in the offing for later. Once the visit is over, the final cleanup starts and the guests (hopefully) have a safe journey back home. Another wonderful Thanksgiving is now behind us.
Sometimes on Thanksgiving we even think about, or are thankful for, the bountiful blessings we receive throughout the year. That is a good thing. However, the day of which I am the most concerned with is the day after Thanksgiving. Often times, the spirit of giving and fellowship is replaced by dog eat dog, "I get mine" behavior that seems to permeate Black Friday shopping.
I think it is ironic Black Friday was nicknamed that years ago by retail merchants. Most years sales were usually high enough on the Friday after Thanksgiving to take a mediocre year into the "black" (profitable). However, for those who have been out with the masses on Black Friday, the term could now signify either the color of the day (since most sales start long before the sun is up), or the behavior of some who become selfish and intolerant.
I also think about the growing number of folks who show up at shelters on Thanksgiving Day to receive that special meal. There are usually more volunteers present than you can shake a stick at. Much food is served by many smiling faces. There is a host of friendly people there to greet the visitors. That is until Friday. It is then back to normal for the people who struggle to make it each and every day. The volunteers are back to their lives, and the shelters are once again looking for donations to meet the growing need of clients.
Most shelters will tell you they also get a "bump" in donations and volunteers again at Christmas. However, once December is over, often times things get very rough for the needy. By March, most food shelves start looking like Mother Hubbard's Cupboard. Food drives are scheduled during March to help food shelves replenish. However, it is never enough. Today in Minnesota, one out of five families have trouble putting balanced meals on the table. And that is here. Overseas, in the most impoverished of areas, it is estimated that 4,000 children die each and everyday from starvation or malnutrition.
So today, when I sit at the family table to enjoy our annual feast, I will be thankful for the blessings and bounty my family and I have received this year. However, I will also think about tomorrow and the days following. This year, more than others in the past, my thanks will include more giving back - and doing so on more than just special holidays.
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