Kindly allow me to state the obvious.  The holiday season is upon us.  I don’t know how it happened since I’m pretty sure I did this Thanksgiving thing like last week.  But here it is, in spite of my best efforts to slow the passage of time.

If we’re honest about it, the next month or so will actually fly by faster than the previous 10.5, (unless you’re a small child, in which case it will approximate eternity) and before we know it, there’ll be Christmas and then New Years and then it starts all over again.

But tomorrow (unless you’re reading this on Tuesday evening—then it will be day after tomorrow) we will celebrate Thanksgiving—that meek, mild-mannered little holiday that is generally overshadowed by all things Christmas.  So, in honor of the holiday that almost isn’t, I’d like to offer a few thoughts for your consideration.

1. True gratitude rests in the little things, those tiny blessings of life that we often don’t even consider, like waking up in the morning or having a for real bed to snuggle into each night. Or how ‘bout watching the seasons as they melt into each other, or teaching a child how to make straw paper worms or milk carton tanks or helicopters out of maple seeds and seeing the joy that comes from such small things?  When we can open our eyes and recognize those blessings—and so many others—for what they truly are, we will find ourselves far more content with life.  The material things won’t mean as much because we will have found those things which have true worth.

2. The people around us are our greatest treasure. They may annoy us and harass us and generally be royal pains on occasion, but those very people are the ones who will be there when we need them.  They are our closest family members and dearest friends . . . the people we are most likely to lash out at when life lashes out at us.  How sad that we will treat total strangers with more respect than the people who love us beyond words.  Realize they will not always be with you and, when they are gone, it is too late to tell them how much they meant.  Say it now, not just with words, for words often come too easily.  Show them.

3. Life is too short to be anything but content, even when trials and tribulations afflict us. As cliché as it may sound, there truly are no mountains without the valleys; no joys without the sorrows.  The strength to prevail can flow from many different sources:  from God, if you are a believer, from others, if you will only allow them to walk with you, and from within, if you have taken the time to fill your mind and heart with positive and uplifting thoughts beforehand.  I call it the pixie dust philosophy.  If you’ve ever watched Peter Pan, you know pixie dust was essential to flying.  But so were happy thoughts—and without those happy thoughts, all the pixie dust in the world wouldn’t lift you off the ground.

4. A life of service is a life well-lived. Every day we meet people who are struggling, whether physically, mentally, or emotionally.  Every day we have the opportunity to bless someone’s life through our words and deeds.  But we have to look at them long enough and listen to them closely enough to recognize that opportunity when it knocks.  Hurrying through life will only shorten your time on this earth and leave a legacy that no one will remember.  Do you want to be immortal—or at least live long beyond your death?  Then serve others.  They will keep your memory alive through their own gratitude.

As we gather with family and friends this season, please be mindful of those who are facing this joyous time of year with dread.  The first holiday without someone is the worst, and often the second isn’t much better.  In the midst of our celebrations, may we remember to include them while being respectful of their continued grief.   And while we can, may we live our lives so that others will count us as a blessing.

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