What Does Thanksgiving Mean to You?

It's the Sunday before Thanksgiving and I wanted to ask you all what Thanksgiving means to you. Unlike Halloween and Christmas, where we spend months preparing for the big day by picking out costumes, shopping for candy, buying presents and literally counting down the days... Thanksgiving doesn't really have a definite personality of its own. When I think about Thanksgiving, I think about falling leaves and turkeys and gravy, family gatherings and avoiding the grocery store for the entire month before and after; but it doesn't have the same kind of excitement or allure that the other holidays seem to have. When you think about Thanksgiving, what is the first picture thats brought to your mind, the first feeling, the first emotion? Do you feel excitement, appreciation, dread, anxiety, happiness, sadness or just plain relief that you have an extra day off work? Do you spend the day with family, friends or solo? I think some of the most memorable Thanksgivings I've had are the times I had to work, and the reason why they were so memorable was because I was blown away by the number of people who offered to bring me food and reach out to make the day just as special for me. This just reminds me about the kindness of humans. I know it's hard to see sometimes with whats going on in the news or in our own neighborhoods; we seem to be surrounded with so much anger and violence and sometimes it seems like the world is spiraling out of control. But I believe that humans still have a greater capacity to love than to hate, to show kindness rather than anger, and to have empathy rather than indifference for the struggles and pains of others. These are the things that stand out to me, the things that all humans possess or have the capability of possessing. This year is especially meaningful to me because I am blown away by the many people in my life who have shown love, care and gratitude to me. To the many people who have reached out to lend a hand and ask for nothing in return. It just reminds me all the more of how love is contagious and empathy is something that surrounds us, and expands when we focus our energy on it. We can look at the entire world and see chaos, but I believe that if we want to change the world, it starts in the three feet surrounding us. It starts in our neighborhoods, with our family and friends, and the people we come into contact with on a daily basis. It is up to us to spread the wave of love to those closest to us and send the ripple out into the world. So I ask again... what does Thanksgiving mean to you? Share your story!