Topeka Capital-Journal. November 19, 2023.
Editorial: What makes Thanksgiving special? Sure, the food is great, but it’s the people around you.
Thanksgiving is nearly here and with it comes the start of the holiday season.
A few short weeks of celebration, cheer and decorations. Special foods, colors and all sorts of other reminders let us know this time of year is set apart. Hopefully, it offers a break from the everyday routine.
This season is supposed to be a time of celebration, togetherness and connection.
We’re well aware that for many this is also a season of busyness — full of tasks and boxes to check so that we can have this time to gather and celebrate.
We’d encourage you to keep the former at the center of the holidays. Don’t get lost in all the rigmarole that comes with the season.
We understand that it’s not possible to completely dismiss the obligations of the coming weeks, but let’s opt to embrace the spirit of the season. Try not to be burdened by expectations. Instead, let’s focus on the joys the year has brought. Let’s relax with those we care about. Let’s celebrate as best we can and enjoy the company of those around us.
Give each other grace when and where we can.
Take a moment, if you can, to pause. To reflect. To inhale and exhale. In doing so try to visualize what has blessed you this year. Appreciate the happy memories you’ve made in 2023. Be thankful for those in your life who’ve made it what it is. Find a way to show appreciation.
That will look different for each of us, but it’s certainly important for all of us.
Gratitude and thankfulness aren’t empty platitudes used for decoration. They have a profound appreciation for what we have. A motivator to expand our efforts. A hope that even in our times of crisis and struggles things can and will get better. An acknowledgment that not one of us can truly achieve anything on our own but rather we succeed with the help of those around us.
So it’s important for us to reflect on these things. It’s also critical that we can name them. And imperative that we pass the gratitude along.
We hope you have a wonderful holiday season. May it be filled with joy instead of expectation.
What makes this time so special isn’t the turkey, the decorations or any of the trimmings that come with this season, but rather an appreciation for what we already have been blessed with.
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