EcoWatch: The blessings of Thanksgiving

Breaking bread with the ones we love.
Giving thanks to the heaven above.
Sharing our bounty with those in need.
The sanctity of giving is a noble creed.
Returning to traditions creates ties that bind.
A lifting of spirits in heart and mind.
To share is to love most divine.
Blessings to all at this special time.

by poet Gardin
2025

Too often lately our holidays have been kidnapped, along with family traditions that may be lost forever. What has replaced family values are all too often material things with no sentimental value or memories to last on this special day.

Recently, on a visit to a local store over four weeks before Christmas, a shopping cart sat by itself near the registers, filled with remnants of Thanksgiving Day items that seemed to be thrown in haphazardly. They looked like they were taken off the shelves in haste to make room for Christmas items.

There was a shortage of Thanksgiving Day cards that also disappeared to make room for brightly colored Christmas cards for every member of the family, including cards to or from pets, friends, family, the sad, the happy, the sick and the healthy, all using Christmas sales throughout the store as a reason for the season. It was obvious that last rites were needed for Thanksgiving Day.

It was a sad sight as Thanksgiving Days of the past had been a special day to be celebrated with family, friends and traditions that were passed down through the ages, such as old-fashioned dishes that are rarely seen on today’s modern tables. Do you remember candied carrots that were simmered in a sugary solution and glazed in orange juice; succotash, a creamy soup that was a staple at Thanksgiving tables and was made with a mixture of vegetables; along with creamed peas, my favorite? Giblet gravy, a once-family favorite, is very seldom served anymore. It is made from the drippings of the turkey. Now, bottled gravy filled with additives has taken its place in the rush to celebrate this special day.

What is the rush? “Black Friday,” a day advertised on the first day of November, when merchants start to promote the day with special items that will go on sale. This advertising takes place all month, drowning out Thanksgiving Day, a once-cherished family day.

Too often Thanksgiving Day conversation revolves around Black Friday and what plan of action will be needed to get special items. While not an official holiday, it has been observed as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. In past years many shoppers have been injured waiting in early lines in order to get a good deal.

While many people are anxious to save a few dollars, the time given to this practice disrupts family traditions that have been with us for almost a century.

Why not attempt to return to some semblance of a Thanksgiving Day when family members share memories of days gone by and remember favorite members who have passed? Many young children of today have no knowledge of past relatives, many of whom had interesting backgrounds that should be shared by sharing photo albums containing family members and some of their history, especially if they were war veterans.

While many families enjoyed a day watching their favorite football games, sharing these moments will leave the listeners with special memories to look back on.

Other adventurous parents might round up the young ones and take them on a nature hike, exploring the changing season and wildlife. Others choose to jump into the car and take a ride through a nature park enjoying the sights of the last autumn days.

Other ways you can help make Thanksgiving Day special is to remember the people around you. Your lonely neighbor, who recently either lost a loved one or is elderly and just plain lonely. An invitation to your home or a family meal sent to a neighbor’s home who is ill will make you feel better and brighten your neighbor’s day.

And let’s not forget all the people who cannot afford a Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings. Offer to help with a donation of food to a homeless shelter or an offer to help make their day a special one. The recent high cost of food and other staples has taken its toll on many people who are just trying to survive. The millions of people going hungry in this country is alarming.

And to make Thanksgiving Day special, why not visit an animal shelter and give a homeless dog a forever place in your family? Many shelters are overcrowded because many families cannot afford to feed their animals and have to bring them to a shelter. This Thanksgiving, as we sit down to dinner, let’s all count our blessings and remember the reason for the season.

Email Delores at gaiasvigil@gmail.com