Happy Thanksgiving to all. What are you thankful for?

In this commercialized world, what has happened to the meaning of Thanksgiving? Is it just me or has Thanksgiving been diluted to just another reason to save at Wal*Mart? Well, I think it has.

I was not allowed to celebrate holidays like most of the world. I was raised a Jehovah's Witness and because of my parents, well mostly, my dear mother's misplaced religious views, I think I missed out. But, I am thankful even for that because I now realized what true joys I've missed. Not the joys of shopping, scrounging through the storage shed for holiday ornaments and the sometimes agony of putting up the Christmas lights but the simple things. For example, the look on my little girl's face when she sees her Great-grandmother for the first time or when she bites into a mouth-watering cookie that comes from a recipe that was handed down from women of her line from the very beginning. And now, I have the knowledge that I, having not known those joys myself, I have a wonderful, generous husband who has shown them to my children and me and that hopefully the joys will continue to pass on.

Reality hit me in the nose this week. An altercation happened between two people who are very dear to me. An argument that could have turned violent because one of those people was not thankful for what they had but jealous over what the other did. Juvenile when you think of it isn't it? Two people who have known each other their entire lives could have ruined their relationship for years to come.

So, I guess the motto of my rant is this.....

Be thankful for the little things and cherish every moment tomorrow because taking one day for granted is the beginning of taking everyday for granted.