In honor of Thanksgiving I decided I should write a post about all the things for which I’m grateful. I tried it three different times. It’s not that I’m not filled with gratitude in every aspect of my life (I’m in excellent health, I’ve held on to my job during really difficult times, I have a wonderful man, my family and friends rock, and I look forward to all the possibilities my future holds); I think feeling that I HAD to do something provoked the inner teenager in my mind to cross her arms, hold her ground, and say “Make me”.
You’ll just have to imagine me stomping my foot just as this picture was taken.
Since I have learned to chose my battles, I decided instead to focus on something else. Hmmmmm …. what could be Thanksgiving related but not gratitude? Hmmmmmm… Food!
My senior year of high school we had a foreign exchange student staying with us. When Thanksgiving came around, I remember telling her the story about the first Thanksgiving: Pilgrims, Indians, feasting. You know what? It makes a lot more sense if you are 5 and don’t know what happened later. The whole point of the holiday seemed lost in translation. I finally said, “It’s a holiday where you eat until you can’t eat any more.” That was understood.
Which reminds me of an only tangentially related to Thanksgiving story. When my sister and I were in our twenties, we got a coupon in the mail for a Black Angus Prime Rib feast – 2 for $25. So we went and ate and ate and ate. After we finished off the dessert, we realized we were too full to move. As we reclined in the very comfy booth, trying not to explode, one of us brought up the fact that we were “Thanksgiving post-pumpkin pie full”.
I plan to NOT be button-popping full at the end of the day, to share my love and gratitude with my loved ones, watch football, and help plan out our Black Friday plan of attack.
I hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. Thank you for reading my blog. You are my inspiration to continue it.
Please feel free to share what you are grateful for … if your inner teenager doesn’t object.
Grown Up, Now What? 
I agree with your assessment. I told my family that I am grateful for the things we usually say, family, friends, roof over our head, job, etc. I did tell them that I am also thankful for those things that we take for granted and never think about. Air to breath, 2 arms and 2 legs, sane mind. The list could go on and on, but I imagine you get the idea.
For the last few years I too have made it a challenge to myself not to overeat. I hate that stuffed feeling. I try to get my plate of food and always remind myself to see the plate. If I can see the plate underneath the food then I didn’t pile it too high. I do my best to avoid seconds and drink water whenever I have the choice. Maybe it’s wrong to do, but I also make a game out of it and watch what and how much others are eating. If they go back for seconds and thirds and I don’t, it reminds me that I am doing better. It seems to work for me.
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It’s wonderful that you were able to appreciate the things we normally consider as, well, “normal”, and to share that appreciation with others.
I also take the “sampler” plate strategy. I definitely wasn’t too full at the end of it, which made our post-feast hike all the more enjoyable!
Thanks for stopping by, Jeffrey!
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I’m just usually grateful if and when I wake up – it’s never guaranteed and feels like I’ve been given yet another chance…for whatever!
I like your description of ‘button popping’ full. I used to do it with the family at Christmas and then one day I thought…why? Why am I eating like this once a year until I feel so uncomfortable as if I were pumped up with helium gas and fit to explode? And I just stopped doing it.
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Thanks for stopping by, Pea! I also haven’t done the button popping in a while. Why spend 4 months losing the weight that takes less than a month to gain?!?!? Also, the 20th bite never tastes as good as the first.
So glad to hear that you, like Jeffrey, take the time to appreciate the often overlooked gifts that life gives us – the gift of life itself.
I hope your holiday was happy and that you are able to maintain your sanity throughout the rest of the season.
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Button popping joy? Been there. Was just there this year. I even commented (with not much tact) that I thought we ought to sit down to the Thanksgiving table in our robes – so at least we were comfortable by the end of the feast. Next year, next year – I’ll reign it in……
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Robes – what a brilliant idea! The only elastic waist pants that I currently own are pj’s, so I can’t bring myself to wear those. I actually normally wear my snuggest pair in an attempt to remind myself not to go too crazy … but where’s the fun in that? 🙂
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