Warning! This post contains a RANT. So, if you’re easily offended or are the kind of person who takes EVERYTHING personally. STOP! Close this window. Hit the “back” button on your browser. This rant is not pointed in any one persons direction. Now that I have that out of the way, let’s get on with this…
So, I have observed over the last week plus that I know a lot of people, either in person or via Internet, who have started this “30 Days of Thankful” (or Thankfulness) for the month of November. Ah, November! Bringer of colder temperatures, snow (that curse word to some) if we’re lucky and a flurry of people assuaging guilty consciences with being “thankful”. Spending the eleven months of December through October being greedy, self-absorbed, little narcissists is almost too much to bear, hmm?
This all smacks of superficiality, don’t you think? A thankful person should be thankful DAILY, 365 days a year. Okay, I’ll grant you a day off here and there – we all have really “craptastic” days. Thank you to my Sister-in-Law for that awesome word. I’m really irked that there has been this plethora of people who decided to show the world just how thankful they are for this and that for 30 days. By the way – this 30 Days of Thankful… it has INSTRUCTIONS! Seriously?! So what happens at the end of the 30 days? Do you stop being thankful until the next November rolls around?
Here’s the deal, and you can ask my husband, I’m quite unrestrained on my thankfulness, nearly daily. Do I start everything with, ‘Today I’m thankful for…”? No. I just express my gratitude however it comes out. Why get all wordy with it? This morning, it was the most AWESOME sunrise I got to view while heading into work. The sunrise changed and moved as I traveled towards it. It. Was. Awesome!!! DH even got a photo of it while he rode shotgun.
There are days where I’m overcome with gratitude to the people in my life, and I will express my gratitude in person, by email, by letter, whatever it takes. The people I’m lucky enough to have the chance to tell in person often grant me a hug (I’m lucky like that, and have grown to love hugs). My point is, what are you waiting for? Why are you saving up your thankfulness for one month, a mere thirty days of the year, when you have 365 days to express what you’re grateful or thankful for?
On the ride back home with DH, I was ranting on this subject, to which he told me I should blog about it, and then asked what I was thankful for. “So, what are YOU thankful for?” My response, “At this moment, I’m thankful for this Northwest Greening apple and cheddar cheese…. because it is SO TASTY!” He laughed and stated, “Ah, the simple things.” Then I rattled off that I was really thankful for the sunrise this morning, for him and how he enjoys doing things like home improvement projects, for the person driving in front of us turning off. Being a thankful person doesn’t have to involve huge, grandiose events. It doesn’t matter if it’s something small (like enjoying an apple and cheese) or something big (like appreciating the company of your spouse; and really, not enough people do that).
So what are you waiting for? Why are you following some ministries outline of what you should be thankful for based on a 30-day outline? Stop being a sheep, put on your big girl (or boy) undies and go tell those in your life why you’re thankful for them. Go on, do it! And don’t just stop at that – did you have the most tremendous mocha this morning? Then SAY it! It doesn’t have to be loquacious nor planned, but it does have to be sincere. It does have to be from the heart.
Now, that brings me to the end of my rant. For those of you who are doing the “30 Days of Thankful” and read this whole post, good for you, I guess. I’ll know if I’m thankful for that if I don’t get any hate mail…
Musings of the Amusing Muse 
Good morning! Thank you for linking to me in your post. I’m not sure how you found my site, but I’m glad you visited. Your post makes the assumption that I (and others) are not thankful to God the rest of the year. Perhaps some are not, however, I am very grateful for the blessings God has given me. Since America has a holiday promoting Thanksgiving, it seems reasonable to promote thankfulness during that same month….. or are you suggesting that the Thanksgiving holiday is as superficial as the idea of posting about being thankful all through the month of November? You will have to admit, America is a pretty self-absorbed nation, by and large, so any reminder to be thankful to God for our blessings should be a good thing. Anyway, I’ll be looking forward to stopping in and reading your posts now that I have found you. God bless you and I hope you will visit me again.
Thank you for your comment, Leah. Finding your site was quite easy with a Google search. I would like to take a moment to respond to your comments.
You wrote, “Your post makes the assumption that I (and others) are not thankful to God the rest of the year.” Firstly, your statement makes the assumption that everyone following the “30 Days of Thankful” program is Christian and worships the same deity as you. Secondly, I do not assume they stop being thankful at the end of November, but question whether they do or not.
Regarding your question, “…or are you suggesting that the Thanksgiving holiday is as superficial as the idea of posting about being thankful all through the month of November”, yes, I do feel the holiday is superficial. While it has become the “norm” to celebrate with family on a set-aside date of “thanksgiving”, the idea that the holiday came about in the spirit of racial harmony is a farce, based on lies and ideology. The first actual “Thanksgiving” was celebrated in 1637 by the Puritans after the massacre of 700+ members (mostly women, children and elderly) of the Pequot tribe near the mouth of the Mystic River in Massachusetts. The Puritans were giving thanks to God in his helping them smite the demons (Native Americans). This is written about in The Hidden History of Massachusetts by Dr. Tingba Apidta, and numerous other sources.
America isn’t the only self-absorbed nation, we just excel at it; this is a product of our European roots and perpetuated by over-indulgent parenting. Is being so self-absorbed a reversible affliction? Indeed. When Americans learn that they cannot control everything and aren’t entitled to everything, we’ll have a better attitude and outlook.
Thank you for schooling the rest of us on the difference between superficial thankfulness and sincere thankfulness. Clearly you possess a keen nose for discerning the subtle variance between the two.
I have Dale Carnegie to thank for knowing the difference.