Thanksgiving: Practicing the Attitude of Gratitude

     Every year families from around the country gather and break bread to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday.  Lately, it seems to me as if this day has been pushed aside in favor of the all too commercialized and overly materialistic Christmas season.  As I sat yesterday to pen this post, Judy told me how she saw people camped out in front of the local Best Buy waiting to get first dibs on the next greatest thing- consciously choosing to bypass this day of gratitude.

     When the pilgrims landed on Plymouth Colony way back in 1620, they had already endured many months of hardship aboard the Mayflower with several losing their lives during the journey across the Atlantic Ocean.  I pondered what they may have been grateful for on that very first meal they gave thanks:

1.      The journey to a new land was accomplished, affording them a new found freedom.

2.      For the Native Americans who showed them how to survive and live off of what Mother Nature provided in the mostly untouched new region.

3.      Expression of thanks to their Creator for allowing all this to transpire.

     Given all this, what can we do to bring back the attitude of gratitude in Thanksgiving?  Sonja Lyubomirsky in her article How to Practice Gratitude, offers several strategies in this regard:

Start a Gratitude Journal

·         Set aside a few minutes (varying the time of day) to reflect and write.

·         Pick 3-5 ordinary things you are grateful for (good day at work, the snow was plowed; the flat tire was changed, etc.).

·         Then pick 3-5 extraordinary things (child’s first words, the first time you told someone you loved them or I do, an awesome sunrise or sunset).

·         Do this at a frequency (daily, weekly, monthly) that best speaks to you.

Vary Your Routine

·         When counting your blessings, vary when and how you do it.  Don’t make it a routine-make it something special.

·         If you are not good at writing, take time to sit and just contemplate what you are most grateful for.

·         Share with others a favorite restaurant, park, or scenic drive, and re-live what they see/comment on as if it was your very first time as well.

Give Thanks to Another

·         This can be done by phone, letter, email, text, etc.  However, it is more effective and personal when thank you(s) are given face-to-face.

·         Thank them for something they did (in some small way) to make your world brighter (2015).

     These are just a few examples of how we can re-focus the attention on the meaning of Thanksgiving not just on this day, but every day of the year.  An attitude of gratitude can surely make this world a better place to live.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Tim

References

How to Practice Gratitude (2015).  Gratefulness.org. Retrieved from http://www.gratefulness.org/resource/how-to-practice-gratitude/ on 11/25/2015.

All Gave Some, but Some Gave All

     Today, in the USA we celebrate Veteran’s Day that honors all who served in the Armed Forces whether in peace time or at war.  This day, originally called Armistice Day, commemorates the official end of World War I that occurred on the 11th hour of the 11^th day of the 11^th month in the year of 1918. The other day, I spoke with a friend from Canada who gave me a brief lesson in history that forms the basis of this posting.

     Canada, as well as all the Commonwealth of Nations (which does not include the USA), celebrate 11/11 as Remembrance Day to honor the fallen comrades in arms.  Originally, Remembrance Day began with those who perished in WWI, but now extends to all wars since then as well as to fallen first responders.  My friend further related that this is a very emotional day for our neighbors to the North, and evokes a lot of grief.  Each year, the entire country observes a moment of silence at 1100 hours to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice.  Remembrance Day is celebrated the same as Memorial Day is here in the states.

     Last night, I watched show on PBS TV called Iwo Jima: From Combatants to Comrades. This hour long program told the story of several veterans both American and Japanese, who fought in this major battle that resulted in a victory for the Allied Forces in the Pacific Theater and set the stage for the end to WWII.  The major plot in this storyline was not about the way in which the Allies won, but rather how the surviving members of this group came together (since 1993) as comrades instead of combatants. Annually, the survivors meet on Iwo Jima to honor the fallen as well as to heal from their wounds.  There was even a segment about an Army Air Force Captain who related how he healed from PTSD 43 years after the end of the war.  Later in the evening, I reflected on how grateful I am for the freedoms I now enjoy because of the sacrifices made by both sides of this battle. 

     As a nation, we do many things for our veteran’s on this day and every day to include businesses and many charitable organizations.  However, to better honor the sacrifices made by our vets and military personnel, we need to do more to educate ourselves on behavioral health issues such as depression, suicide, and PTSD.   The incidence of these issues continue to rise amongst our veterans of the most current and past wars.  The echoes of the mind will never let them forget what they have saw or did to preserve the peace and let freedom ring throughout our Nation.

     I often reflect on my own military experience and always tell those I meet who served in the war zone that their time in the service meant more than mine.  After all, I was only part of the all who gave some (volunteering to be in the military) group.   If we really want to honor our veterans, we need to commit to helping our physically, mentally, and emotionally injured brothers and sisters who were part of the some that gave all (in mind, body, spirit, or life) heal from the wounds of war.   I leave you with a song performed by the Zac Brown Band written and originally performed by Jason Isbell that makes a most eloquent point on this subject matter.  Listen and take time to pause and reflect on this, our Veteran’s Day.  Click on the link below:

https://youtu.be/XGH5sfk1L_c

 

 

"Dress Blues"

What can you see from your window?
I can't see anything from mine
Flags on the side of the highway
And scripture on grocery store signs
Maybe eighteen was too early
Maybe thirty or forty is too
Did you get your chance to make peace with the man
Before he sent down his angels for you?

Mamas and grandmamas love you
'Cause that's all they know how to do
You never planned on the bombs in the sand
Or sleeping in your dress blues

Your wife said this all would be funny
When you came back home in a week
You'd turn twenty-two and we'd celebrate you
In a bar or a tent by the creek
Your baby would just about be here
Your very last tour would be up
But you won't be back, they're all dressin' in black
Drinking sweet tea in styrofoam cups

Mamas and grandmamas love you
American boys hate to lose
You never planned on the bombs in the sand
Or sleepin' in your dress blues

Now the high school gymnasium's ready
Full of flowers and old legionnaires
Nobody showed up to protest
They just sniffle and stare
There's red, white, and blue in the rafters
And there's silent old men from the corps
What did they say when they shipped you away
To give all in some God awful war?

Nobody here could forget you
You showed us what we had to lose
You never planned on the bombs in the sand
Or sleeping in your dress blues

No, no you never planned on the bombs in the sand
Or sleeping in your dress blues

Writer(s): Jason Isbell
Copyright: Fame Publishing Co. LLC