Thanksgiving Means Giving Thanks

First posted December 13, 2014.

Living out in the country as we do, we have fallen into the habit of keeping in touch with the world by watching the local news and then the national news with Brian Williams. Then, we get the real scoop from PBS (recorded) later.

I am pretty critical of and forgiving of all three as we all bumble around trying to make sense of this increasingly crazy world.

And, last week Brian blew it.

As he was preparing to host/announce the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, he said something that I not only found offensive, I do not believe it was true in any shape or form. He said that we were about to watch the biggest Thanksgiving tradition – the Macy’s Parade – – – Wrong!

In spite of the forces that would commercialize and take any possible sacredness out of every holiday, I believe deep in our hearts and beings, we still have one holiday where the biggest and most important tradition is not a commercialized, extravaganza of materialized advertising – – – the most important “tradition” of Thanksgiving is giving thanks for all we have been given.

This is the one major, equalizer holiday. It is not owned by our specific religious belief system. It is a time that we can come together (that’s an important tradition) and individually and collectively give thanks and be grateful that’s a very important tradition. Individually and as a nation, we desperately need all these. We certainly do not need to spend hours with advertising and extravagance.

Have we forgotten how to pause – individually and collectively?

Have we forgotten how to come together in a non-sectarian way?

Have we forgotten how to remember to be grateful for all we have been GIVEN and let go of our illusion of entitlement for one day?

We need the traditions of Thanksgiving and the important ones are NOT the Macy’s Parade or football games.

Shame on you, Brian Williams! No, the Macy’s Parade is not the biggest Thanksgiving tradition there is.

I had trusted you to be a “truth-speaker.”

Anne Wilson Schaef, Ph.D.