13 Days to Thankful...

Autumn is my favorite season, but there's always been a little bit of tension about which holiday lands at the top of my list.  Easter and Christmas are both blessed and amazing days, mostly because of the depth of spiritual significance, but in my mind I find myself very much looking forward to and savoring the days surrounding Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving seems to embody so many of the components that make my life happy and complete. 

I typically approach the days of Thanksgiving with really good intentions: a few extra minutes each day expressing thanks to my Heavenly Father, warm conversations with friends about the blessings of life, cooking and baking to fill my family's hearts with comfort, and showing genuine appreciation to my man and my children for all that they mean to my life.

But, if I'm not careful, my intentions are quickly derailed by the all of the distractions that life can provide.  Not only has Fall become one of the busiest times of the year, Thanksgiving has literally being hijacked by the commercialization of Christmas.

Back in October, Kaitlynn and I went to the mall for some shopping.  While we were in the car, Kaitlynn began to talk about Christmas and how much she loved the mall at Christmastime.  A few minutes later, she was stunned to see that the mall had already decked its halls.  She looked at me with the most astonished face and said, "Mom, did we miss the school Thanksgiving dinner?"  I laughed, understanding her momentary confusion, and explained to her a little about marketing gimmicks and how they increase sales.  She was relieved to know that one of her favorite events was still to come, and went about enjoying the tinsel and lights.

Later on, I replayed that conversation in my mind and it connected.

Many times I become so focused on the future that I completely miss the moment!

I don't know about you, but I don't want to "wake up" in December and realize that I missed Thanksgiving.   So, beginning Saturday the 12th, I'm going to embark on a short journey I'm calling

"13 Days to Thankful"

I hope you'll participate...everyone who does will be entered into a drawing for a $10 WalMart card!  And who couldn't use one of those?  :-)

See you then!