Glenn Stewart Coles, 9251 Yonge Street, Suite 8-924, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, L4C 9T3
Text Box: This weekend in Canada we celebrated our holiday called ‘Thanksgiving’. Though the official date this year is Monday, October 13, most people celebrated all weekend. A typical Thanksgiving celebration involves gatherings with family and friends, eating and drinking. Houses are decorated to display the abundance of harvest, including corn stalks, pumpkins and cornucopia displays. In my family turkey dinner is a tradition, including mashed potatoes, yams, carrots, peas and stuffing. A bottle or two of wine usually helps wash down the abundant meal. Harvest celebration has been a long-standing tradition of various Native American groups for centuries. In 1578, explorer Martin Frobisher held the first formal ceremony by a European on Canadian soil. Starting in 1879 a national holiday was declared, with the dates and focus of gratitude changing annually. While some Thanksgiving celebrations had specific subject matter such as the end of a cholera outbreak or the Diamond Jubilee for Queen Victoria, most Thanksgivings were for ‘the blessings of an abundant harvest’. On January 31, 1957, the Canadian Parliament proclaimed that Thanksgiving would always be held on the second Monday of October, resulting in a three-day weekend. Celebrated in the United States since the 1600’s by Pilgrims and Virginians, the American holiday Thanksgiving was officially declared to occur on the fourth Thursday of November by US Congress in 1941. American Thanksgiving is very similar to the Canadian celebration and usually results in a four-day weekend. The holiday often includes extravagant parades and professional and college-level football games. This year, American Thanksgiving occurs on November 27. There are 45 days between Canadian and American Thanksgiving. During this time frame both countries have elections to select their leadership. During this time frame the world may undergo many changes. Over the next 45 days, wouldn’t it be nice if everyone really gave thanks? What if everyone got up each morning and found something to be grateful for? Can you imagine seven and one-half weeks where everyone on the planet felt thankful every day? When was the last time that you intentionally gave thanks? Creating the feeling of simple unconditional gratitude allows us to remember all the good things in life. When we recognize the many blessings of our existence, feelings of love and joy are enhanced. There are many things that I am grateful for. I am grateful for my family; the bond of love between us supercedes the rest of my life experiences. I am grateful for my friends; I cherish the connections that I have with so many good people. I am grateful for who I am and for the many blessings in my life. I give thanks for the income that has come my way this year. I give thanks for the potential of my future. I am grateful for the opportunities that the world presents; our ability to create is boundless. I am grateful for the challenges presented to me; all growth occurs as we deal with the situations of life. All change begins with one. Each morning, I shall light a candle in celebration of life. Each morning I shall declare thanks for something specific; and express even more gratitude for many things in general. As we choose to be grateful for all the aspects of our lives, inner transformation occurs. © Copyright Glenn Stewart Coles, 2008 First Published October 13, 2008

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Giving Thanks

 

What if everyone got up each morning and found something to be grateful for?
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