Another year is fast on the course of completion, and with it comes a full spate of holidays that mark the approaching end of the current year. With that said, the holiday that we celebrate as Thanksgiving Day will be observed on Thursday, November 24, 2022.
Thanksgiving, a national holiday celebrated in the United States, began as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the successes of the preceding year. It is observed on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States and around the same time of the year in other places. Although Thanksgiving has historical roots in religious and cultural traditions, it is celebrated as a secular holiday as well.
Currently, it has also become the precursor to the most aggressive push for capitalism that exists, the goal is to lure shoppers in droves to commercial establishments. The day after Thanksgiving Day is called “Black Friday,” and it has been reported that merchants make enough money on this day to help balance the books for the rest of the year.
The materialistic aspect of Thanksgiving Day does not keep us from focusing on the spiritual aspect of the day, however. As with most American holidays, it has become a hallmark of capitalism, as previously said. But it is also a period in which we can think about all of the things for which we can be grateful.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who have lost touch with spirituality. They do not see value in anything unless it has financial benefits. Materialists only look at Thanksgiving practices as an opportunity to increase their coffers.
There is a spiritual benefit to the concept of gratitude. The term “gratitude,” according to Oxford Languages, means “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.” This is a fitting definition, and provides guidelines for better living, as is being discovered by a lot of people who are seeking new ways to express their spirituality.
As it turns out, the state of gratitude brings great spiritual rewards. In fact, there are those who feel it is one of the most important things that a person can possess. It sets the stage for future benefits and spiritual successes, according to those who are well versed on the topic.
Since gratitude is seen to be so important, it is key that we take it very seriously; that we make it a point to embrace the ideas surrounding it and express gratitude for all that we possess, spiritually, physically and emotionally. Thanksgiving Day provides an opportunity to focus on that for which we feel grateful.
What are some of the things for which we can express gratitude? For one, while we are alive, we have an opportunity to correct our mistakes. It has been said that the Earth is a schoolroom, and one of the things that we gain through life is the benefit of experience and the acquisition of knowledge that will help us better cope with living among people.
We can also be thankful for the fact that we live among people; we are not alone. Of course, there are those who think that they would rather not live among people. These people, however, are mistaken.
There is a great benefit in learning from those around us. How else would we come to know ourselves? We learn about life through other people. It could be that this is why we have ongoing skirmishes with each other; we are learning how to live together on this planet. Why is this important? It is because life would be empty without our neighbors, whether they live next door or around the world.
We can also be thankful for the beautiful planet that we have inherited. Our symbiotic relationship with plant life provides the perfect balance. We grow plants that give off oxygen that we breathe in, and we breathe out carbon dioxide that plants use. This is a biological example of “love,” which is said to be the foundation of all existence on every plane.
Finally, we should be thankful for giving and receiving love. No matter who we are, we have received love from other beings, whether they resided in our families or elsewhere. Certainly, some people receive more love than others, and sometimes this is due to the fact that they may not exude enough love themselves.
Living among people will ultimately teach us how important love is. We should be happy for the existence of Thanksgiving Day so that we can reflect on the idea of love, of agape (spiritual love) and thus generate further gratitude, something that can help us navigate life! A Luta Continua; have a Happy Thanksgiving Day.
Reprinted from the Philadelphia Tribune
