Thanksgiving is about as American a holiday as they get. It’s the time of year where we all sit around and overindulge in food and drink while pretending we are thankful and understand the mystical historical significance to the day — something about American Indians and Pilgrims and a giant cornucopia? Then, we either watch football or hit the shopping malls.
OK, so maybe it means more than that to some people. But, generally speaking, Thanksgiving has been over-commercialized to a great degree. And, also generally speaking, the Thanksgiving habits that we’ve developed over the years are far from healthy.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. We can use this scary time in our country, this economic depression, this time of war overseas, this time of confusion and quarreling over health care and reflect back on our own lives to seek out what we have to be grateful for. Like all holidays, Thanksgiving has evolved, and I think it’s time for its evolution to take a turn for the better for all of us.
I know it sounds trite, maybe even self-righteous, to make this sort of statement. But I believe that a more thankful Thanksgiving can transform your normal holiday into a healthier and happier holiday.
The reasoning for this is simple. If you actively, purposefully take the energy to remind yourself to be thankful, you will appreciate every moment with your family and every morsel of food so much more.
If you constantly remind yourself of your gratitude toward being able to spend time with your family, you will likely avoid unnecessary bickering with them. You won’t want to spend your limited time together angry at each other. And don’t just avoid fighting; go out of your way to show your appreciation for your family. Your mother is likely exhausted. Don’t offer to clean up the kitchen — just do it. Drive your teeny-boppin’ little sister and her friends to the movies so they can see “New Moon.” In the end, your selfless actions will end up making you feel so much better.
Further, you will eat less and enjoy your food more if each time you take a bite, you remember to be thankful. Think about it, you don’t shove your second slice of pumpkin pie into your mouth while thinking, “I appreciate the taste of this food so much, I am so thankful my mom is such a great cook.” People just don’t think those thoughts while they are overindulging. You might think such thoughts while enjoying slice number one of the pie, but by number two, you are simply caught in a food daze. You have lost your appreciation for the food and are just mindlessly eating, because it is there or other people are having seconds or you just want to eat something, anything. But how much better does it feel when you are pleasantly satisfied with a meal? I love that feeling — that lovely balance where your taste buds are happy and your stomach is full without being too stuffed. Find that balance and stick to it, and you will have no reason to feel guilty about the food you eat on Thanksgiving.
Perhaps we can see Thanksgiving as a recharge point — time to reset how we think and interact on a daily basis. Maybe mindful eating and acts of gratitude and selflessness should not just be practiced one day a year. Maybe we can incorporate these techniques into our days for the rest of the year to improve our quality of life.
Last Thanksgiving, I didn’t get to go home or see my parents. This year, I do. And I am so thankful. I can’t wait to see my dogs. I can’t wait for Reese, our Chesapeake Bay retriever to jump up on the kitchen counter to gobble up the other half of someone’s sandwich. My mom will walk in shaking her head and my father’s voice will be heard from across the house, yelling, “Bad behavior!” This is when I will remember I’m home, and I am so thankful for that.
Cheers to the people we are most thankful for.
You can reach this columnist at kbarrett@theeagleonline.com.
