Inspirational
Thanksgiving Brings Family Opportunity for Gratitude
by Diana Raab
Those of you who follow me already know that November is my favorite month; so much of that goes back to my childhood.
I grew up in the suburbs of New York City, and Thanksgiving was the annual holiday my parents loved to celebrate the most. My family made a big deal out of it, including a four-course meal with all the traditional fare, with small chocolate turkeys placed in front of everyone’s plate during the meal. I’ve continued this tradition with my own children, and now with my grandchildren. Although, I’ve come to realize that kids have less self-control than I remember, so there’s always the discussion of why I need those turkeys to decorate the table and “tempt the kids.” This year, I might consider a healthier alternative!
While Thanksgiving has colonial harvest roots, for me it was always a time when we highlighted the concept of gratitude. Once my children were old enough, at the end of each meal I planned a game to be played or question to be answered that centered around the idea of thankfulness.
I recall one year in particular when I had everyone take a turn sitting at the head of the table. While there, we’d go around the table and each person would remark why they were grateful for the individual seated at the head of the table. As young adults, my three children were not too thrilled with that exercise. Now that they’re parents themselves, I’m hoping they will appreciate it more. In any event, this year I might consider some sort of modification, but one thing remains consistent each Thanksgiving—I always hire a professional photographer for group photos, to capture the wonderful memories we make.
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about gratitude. I wonder about the gifts each one of us holds inside of us. Some of us are born with gifts, while others nurture and develop certain gifts as they move through the different life stages.
The fact is that we all have gifts. When is the last time you thought about yours? Here are some questions to ponder by yourself or maybe even consider sharing each person’s gift at your own Thanksgiving feast.
- What are your gifts?
- How have you used your gifts to contribute to the world?
- How do you show or share your gifts of gratitude?
About Diana Raab
Diana Raab, MFA, PhD, is a memoirist, poet, blogger, speaker, and award-winning author of nine books. Her work has been published and anthologized in over 1000 publications. She frequently speaks on writing for healing and transformation. Raab blogs for Psychology Today, The Wisdom Daily, The Good Men Project, Thrive Global, and is a guest blogger for many others. She’s published two memoirs: Regina’s Closet: Finding My Grandmother’s Secret Journal and Healing with Words: A Writer’s Cancer Journey, and four poetry collections. Her latest books are Writing for Bliss: A Seven-Step Program for Telling Your Story and Transforming Your Life and Writing for Bliss: A Companion Book. Visit her at: dianaraab.com.
