Welcome November | Give Thanks

November is here!!! I can't believe it's already here. Time really flies by, doesn't it? November is probably my favorite month of the year. The weather holds the promise joy. The feast that awaits our bellies a few Thursdays from now. It's time for Thanksgiving!!!!!

What is Thanksgiving?! Giving thanks. That is as simple as it gets. Now, as Americans, we all know the history of Thanksgiving.

If you need a recap, I invite you to watch my personal favorite,

The Charlie Brown Thanksgiving which will give you a little refresher.

In our culture, today, everything is about instant gratification. We want what we want, and we want it NOW! We give no regard to the work required to earn it, or appreciating it when we receive it. It should simply be OURS. End of story. Right?

It’s crucial to take a step back, press pause and soak it all in. Look at what you DO have and why you have it. If you recognize that you had help to get where you are, don’t be too proud to say thank you to those that have helped you along the way. Don’t overlook the small things. either. It seems like it goes without saying, that we are thankful for our family and friends, our home, the food on our table etc. You’d be infinitely surprised at what simply vocalizing your gratitude can do.

Also, gratitude does not know age. We learned manners; saying "please" and "thank you"; as part of a good up-bringing. Do we ever reach an age where we are too old to say those things? Is there a point in life at which we have lived long enough to be entitled to what we have, therefore we need not be thankful?

Try to find things, daily, to be thankful for, big or small. Mentally acknowledge the things in your life that make a positive impact on you. Being aware of these things, makes you happier and makes you work harder to maintain those things. Whether it’s a career, a home, a relationship, it matters not. When you make yourself aware of how important it is to you, you treasure it, you take care of it.

Going into November, we are faced with preparations for the upcoming holidays. Warm Fall decorations take the place of the ghouls and goblins that kept us company during the month of October. The countdown begins, for the number of days until Christmas, so we update our shopping lists and plan our photo session for the annual send-out. The weekly Sunday paper begins to tease us with previews of the impending Black Friday madness. But wait…. Aren’t we forgetting something…

Oh yea… THANKSGIVING! That’s right. The day, right before Black Friday, where wake up and watch the Macy’s parade before we gather for a feast with family and/or friends, stuff our bellies to the brim and pass out during the game. How could we forget that?! Am I the only one who treasures this day? I almost look forward to this, more than Christmas. I enjoy the togetherness, the food and the joy that comes from genuine fellowship with those you love. However, somewhere along the way, we have lost touch with all the things that make this day so special, due to the need for material happiness. It turns my stomach to see the lines outside the mall and major stores, DAYS before Black Friday, just so they can be first to get those ‘amazing deals’. I honestly don’t see the point. I’ve been there and done it and I still don’t get it. I don’t need a new microwave that badly.

I don’t mean to perch on this soapbox, I simply want to remind everyone that there IS still a Thanksgiving holiday and it’s one of the most simple to celebrate! Just be thankful. Eat. Enjoy your loved ones. That’s it.

That being said, I truly hope that you all take full advantage of November and soak up every second of Fall that you can. Actively be thankful for the life you have and everything/everyone in it.

I am genuinely thankful for many things in my life, this new blog and my ‘sisters’ and our amazing readers being some of those (major) things!

Happy November, everyone!

Much Love

Bethany

&

The Sisters -- XO