I know I don't give thanks enough

Yesderday was Thanksgiving.  This used to be one of my favorite holidays, now I feel it's just a day for me to PIG OUT so to relieve the stress.  It's easy to forgot the thanks in the holiday, because it is now filled with the stress of grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning and traveling...as well as being smothered by Black Friday!!!

Sheesh.  I know I don't give thanks enough.  But I also know, Thanksgiving (the holiday) doesn't necessarily evoke thanks from me because I'm focused on other "forces."  I'm working on being grateful, reflecting, and living in thanks more often (daily and hourly and all the darn time)...not just for one holiday.  Of course, this is me, others may experience a more thankful Thanksgiving.  I guess trying to hold on to the spirt of a holiday followed by such contradiction and lies to our Native Peoples doesn't help either.  

I do hope that if we can, in the midst of our cleaning, cooking, traveling, and Black Friday shopping we really do think about true thanks giving.  I am blessed for so many freedoms.  Freedom of speech as I write this blog, freedom of opinion...the opportunity to go to school, to read the books I want to, to come from a culturally and ethnically diverse family as well as country, to vote, to have friends and loved ones, to have a job, and clothes and roof over my head.  I'm grateful for the Native People of these United States...we haven't forgot.  I haven't forgot.  I'm grateful for the history that has caused so much destruction, but is fighting to create a United States that will be more united than ever before.  I believe, through the storms come peace and YES this country has been though some serious and deeply rooted storms.

Lastly, I'm thankful for LOVE, for the smiles from strangers, for the prayers, for belief, for learning and the hope of decling gas prices and seeing loved ones.

Happy Thanksgiving, may it be in all our hearts ALL the time.  :)