Now, more than ever, I think about Thanksgiving and what it means. Do you think it happens before Christmas for a reason? Maybe that was done to get us to be thankful for what we have before we think about what we want. It makes one wonder.

Thanksgiving has always been a time to gather with family, some from far away places, and enjoy a big meal. I mean, we don’t typically eat like that with a turkey, all the “fixins,” and desserts. For some of us, Thanksgiving might have been met with complaints about having to spend the day with our family. Others are happy to enjoy the food and company.

Growing up, Thanksgiving dinner at either my parents’ or grandparents’ house mainly consisted of eating food. We never talked about or addressed what Thanksgiving meant. We never went around the table and said what each of us was thankful for. It was just an opportunity to eat a lot of good food. That’s all it ever did for me.

A few years ago, I implemented the tradition at our house’s Thanksgiving dinner of going around the table and saying what we’re all thankful for. It was nice and made us feel how lucky we are.

This year is going to be different. I’m stepping it up a notch. Yes, we’ll say what we are thankful for before we eat, but I also want us to spend a part of the day doing something we truly enjoy. Even if it’s for only a few minutes, that’s okay. I want to color in my adult coloring books. It seems the only time I take the time to do that is on holidays (sad 🙁 )

I don’t care what’s going on. The new rule is that we will take a few minutes to be grateful and spend some time doing something that brings us joy.

Getting back to Thanksgiving and what it means. Over the last several years, there have been many buzz words such as “thankful” or “grateful” on decor, clothing, accessories, tablets, etc., which has been inspiring. I have this ceramic ball with “thankful” on it that reminds me to be thankful. That’s what it’s for, right? To remind us to be present and thankful.

Thanksgiving and other holidays have been glossed over because of competitive corporate businesses whose aim is to earn big profits during the Christmas holiday. You know it’s greed when Christmas decorations come out in September. Corporate business has effectively rushed our lives without us realizing the trend in time to stop it.

Sure, today, we complain about how fast time goes by, but is it because of us or something else? We’ve been bombarded with Christmas decor months in advance and home shopping networks and media advertising’s “Black Friday Deals,” no longer just on the Friday after Thanksgiving, where it’s always been.

Businesses want sales! They want profits starting earlier and earlier to meet their end-of-year goals. Corporate America does not care one bit about us consumers except for our money. They could sell a product that might have detrimental effects on someone, but it might be okay. “The research shows in small amounts, it’s alright.” I’m just using that as an example, not with a specific thing.

We can slow down time and enjoy Halloween and Thanksgiving. We don’t have to put up our Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving, but we do. The magic of Christmas has grown larger and larger—all the way into July with “Christmas in July.” Wow.

Tomorrow, whether you’re with a huge family or just you and a book, take some time to reflect on what you are thankful for and why your life is so great. We can all think of a few things that make our life something special. Then, try to carry that feeling with you the next day and the next until your go-to thought is always abundance instead of lack.

Thanksgiving is based on sharing food with Native Americans and the “white man.” It’s meant to be a symbol of hospitality, gratitude, and peace. Let’s try to stop the pressure on us all to move through time quicker because a big business needs numbers for quarter 4.

Think about what we already have. We don’t need a lot of stuff we want. I learned that lesson many times. I can say I’m overwhelmed by stuff now, and I would rather spend a day doing something that brings me joy with the people who help me feel joy than fartin’ around with a new computer or TV.

I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving, and I hope you capture that feeling of gratitude within your hearts. Tell others what you’re thankful for this Thanksgiving, and try to make it a tradition, making the day special, not just an excuse to get the family together.

Thank you for reading this. I am so thankful for being able to write these blogs and for the inspiration that I get every single day. I am blessed, and so are all of you. Let’s slow down time to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday.

To Thanksgiving,

Francesca