Happy November! I don’t know about you, but I’m glad to have Halloween behind us. It’s just not my favorite holiday. I feign interest for the kids’ sake, but inside I’m Scrooge McHalloween. Now that November’s here, it’s time for Thirty Days of Gratitude.
What is it? Well, I started Thirty Days of Gratitude in 2012 because I was annoyed by the Christmas advertising and store displays that appeared before Halloween. I think that such promotions encourage us to think past November to Christmas and gift-giving, and we overlook or give short shrift to Thanksgiving.
I have always loved Thanksgiving. When I was a kid, we always had two Thanksgiving dinners: one the night before Thanksgiving at my great aunt and great uncle’s house with the big family crowd, and then one with my mom, brother, aunt, uncle, and two cousins. The food was amazing, and we always laughed a lot.
In addition, Thanksgiving is a time to express gratitude for the wonderful lives we have. Even when facing adversity, there is comfort in being with family and friends. I try to always express gratitude for the blessings in my life, but Thanksgiving is a day specifically set aside for just that.
So, upon being inundated with Christmas stuff before Halloween, I thought: what if I didn’t succumb to the Christmas marketing machine yet? What if we took a breath after Halloween and focused on being thankful for a whole month? I was encouraged when I saw this ad:
And, with that, the Thirty Days of Gratitude Project began.
Please join me. Each day in November, I will talk about something I am thankful for – small or large, silly or serious. In fact, grab a button to show you are participating, too:
As always, thank you for stopping by.
A "recovering lawyer," I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.
Love this! Well said, Karen! I look forward to joining you.
Great! Thanks, Kelly!
This is what they re my favorite store!!!!
Exactly! Love it!
Great idea. Bring back Thanksgiving. Was in 2 major stores Halloween night and not a Thanksgiving item to be found.
Exactly. We’re going to bring Thanksgiving back!