Thanksgiving

I just got back from my three and four year old girls' Thanksgiving pageant at their school. They made pilgrim and Indian costumes, had a traditional banquet, and then gave thanks at our church by bringing food to donate to a local shelter, saying a prayer and singing songs. Watching the kids put their all into this pageant was inspiring -- it's impressive to see what an investment of heart and soul such little people can put into an undertaking. It also exemplifies true thankfulness -- I wonder how many times I, and others really stop to think about why we should be thankful, rather than just saying it by rote because it's expected in polite company. Many of us are blessed with material wealth, such that we've never experienced what it means to go without in a meaningful way and I wonder whether that dulls our sense of humility and appreciation. This Thanksgiving, I want to make it a point to consider the and hows and whys of my thankfulness and to truly understand the ways in which I've been blessed.