Thanksgiving Tidings from DadRevolution

I asked the dads here to say a little about what Thanksgiving means to them and what they are thankful for. Here is what a few of them have to say:

SeattleDad – Thanksgiving, to me, like most everyone is about family, food, relaxation, and taking stock of what is important in your life.  Four years ago, my wife and were struggling with the concept that we were not going to have kids of our own, and had decided to adopt.  Then on the day we were putting our letter to a perspective birthmother in the mail, we found out we were pregnant.  Thanksgiving came soon after and we have had the opportunity to reflect every Thanksgiving since how blessed and lucky we are to not only be parents, but parents of an amazing little boy.

We will gather once again this day with our loved ones, laugh and eat too much, not think about work or the stresses of everyday life, and to once again realize how grateful we are to be as wealthy in the riches that truely matter in life, as we currently are.

TechyDad – To me Thanksgiving means food.  Lots and lots of food.  Of course, it’s not the food itself that’s important, but the memories associated with the food.  Turkey reminds me of sitting around with my parents and sister and figuring out who was going to eat the white meat and who would eat the dark meat.  I was always a white meat kind of guy so that got sent to me while others in my family liked dark meat more. Sweet potatoes remind me of growing up and, year after year, insisting that I didn’t like them when my mother offered them to me.  She would bake them in a casserole with melted marshmellows on top and I would take a small piece just to eat the marshmellows.  After years of prodding, I finally tasted the sweet potatoes themselves and found I liked them.  (Now that I think of it, perhaps my kids’ mealtime pickiness is some sort of Karmic revenge.)  The entire meal evokes memories of my family slowing down, setting the worries of the world aside for a moment and taking some time to be together and enjoy each other’s company.  Now, if you don’t mind, could you pass the stuffing?

NewYorkDad – The beauty of Thanksgiving is that everyone, for once, sits around the table (hopefully) with few other distractions. It is one of the few non-denominational “family gathering” festivities and really the only 100% Made in USA holiday. There are plenty of polemics that accompany this holiday and its history, but I still want to talk about this day on which Americans, a truly nomadic nation, actually stop and sit down in one place together. For many other nations this happens every evening or at regular intervals and thanks to many different holidays scattered over the calendar year. It’s normal and even taken for granted. In the US, on the other hand, it is more the rule rather than the exception to find a family scattered is one of the few non-denominational “family gathering” festivities and really the only 100% Made in USA holiday. There are plenty of polemics that accompany this holiday and its history, but I still want to talk about this day on which Americans, a truly nomadic nation, actually stop and sit down in one place together. For many other nations this happens every evening or at regular intervals and thanks to many different holidays scattered over the calendar year. It’s normal and even taken for granted. In the US, on the other hand, it is more the rule rather than the exception to find a family scattered far and wide with only Thanksgiving allowing for a long enough break to get together.

And from me, to all of you: A Few Words About Being Thankful:

Be thankful for what life has given you, for you are never guaranteed tomorrow.

Give thanks for your struggles, because they have the ability to teach you to be strong.

Live the example of thankfulness. Your children will, more often than not, learn such things from you.

Rejoice in family and the fellowship of friends. Thank them for what they mean to your life.

The holiday season brings so much excitement to people’s lives, especially to those who have children. The fun (or the stress) of holiday toy shopping and the delight of smiling children unwrapping gifts is a magical time. Let us not forget the true meaning of the season though. Let us not get so wrapped up in the affairs of the holidays that we forget why we celebrate. It is a time for family and friends. For giving, and lighting up the lives of others. It is a time for reflection. A time for being truly thankful for all of our blessings.

It is a time to look forward to the future, and the promise that next year we can turn it all around. No matter what you have been through this year, no matter your struggles, or your triumphs, take the time to be thankful. Take the time to bask in the magic of the holidays and let us never forget the love we have in our lives. For it is this love that holds us together, bonds us with others, and offers us the hope of a better tomorrow.

Everyone have a great Thanksgiving and a blessed holiday season. CHEERS