Holiday Season
This week ushers in the official Holiday Season, as far as I'm concerned. I know that if you were like I was this year, I was astonished to find that the local Walgreen's began filling its shelves with Christmas merchandise around Halloween! Talk about confusing!
I am old enough to remember a time when the various Holiday seasons not only enjoyed but seemed restricted to making their respective appearances on the American scene on clearly designated dates. Not so anymore!
One can routinely walk into a store today and find ghosts, witches, pumpkins (a truly crossover symbol for both Halloween and Thanksgiving), cornucopia, Santa Clauses, snowmen, dreidles, Menorah, etc. all crowded on the same shelves vying for top billing! It's enough to make one pull his hair out! Oh, wait! I don't have any hair! Regardless, this overlapping of seasons creates a kind of Holiday schizophrenia!
It's in the Air!
As I awoke early this morning, I began thinking about what I would write next. Obviously, the subject of Thanksgiving took a glaringly prominent position as first on the list of possibilities. As I perused my copy of the Sunday paper and sipped my coffee, I realized that others had the same idea. Since this is officially "Thanksgiving Week" the paper was filled with stories and articles highlighting various perspectives of giving thanks or finding ways to reach out to the less fortunate. With the state of the economy, these articles and stories tended to take on a more serious note than in the past.
Time for an Experiment
I wanted to write something that might cause each one of us to act on our sentiments of gratitude in ways that could solidify or create potentially lasting connections with people in our lives — thus my "Experiment in Thanks-Giving!"
These are my thoughts. We all have people in our lives that play roles often overlooked or minimized in their importance to our well-being or ability to carry out our routines. So very often when we gather with family for Holiday celebrations and festivities we do so with a sense of tradition and focus on those closest to us — our families. I know and understand that there are exceptions to this general description; however, I speak of the majority of Americans here.
I wonder what might happen if we were to sit down today and begin making a list of people outside the circle of family — a list that included those whose lives touch ours each day — whose influence and contributions to our lives often go unnoticed or overlooked? Who might appear on such a list? Close friends – certainly! Co-workers or clients? Those who coach or teach our children? The school counselor? The principal? Our family physician? The person who knows our name at the drugstore or local Starbucks? Our dry cleaner? The guy who routinely changes our oil? Do you get my drift? There could literally be hundreds of people who might comprise such a list!
In recent weeks, I have become involved in the social networking phenomenon called "Twitter" and already, I have about eight or so people for whom I am grateful. Those folks have made my list. By the way, I have already worked on my list some today in preparation for this essay.
The second part of the experiment asks us to consider doing something about those on our list. It requires that we find a way to express "Thanks" to them for their contributions to our lives. Silly? Perhaps! Risky? That too! When we venture to express thanks to people not routinely on our "Thanks" list, we sometimes run the risk of looking silly or appearing "strange." So be it!
The Challenge
My challenge for this week is three-fold:
- First, I challenge you to make a list like the one described above. Include people who touch your life in ways that make a difference — even if it is a small difference. Be as inclusive and complete as you possibly can.
- Second, determine to find a way to express your personal gratitude for the contribution those on your list make in your life. This can be accomplished via a personal word, a handshake with a word, a card, an email, a letter, a phone call, a "Tweet" (for those of you who know what that means), a virtual gift through FaceBook — the possibilities are almost endless!
- Third, actually follow through on your intentions. It's a little like the concept of "Paying it Forward" except this is an experiment in "Thanks-Giving" — giving thanks to the people in our lives without whose support we might find ourselves lacking in some way.
Many of you will be hearing from me in one form or another this week. Why? Because you made my list and I am following through on my own challenge!
Won't you join me in this experiment? Won't you join me is spreading a little gratitude around? At a time when we need to feel better about our lives, what could giving a little thanks hurt? My guess it might actually begin turning things around!
Until next time . . . THANKS . . . and . . . Peace!
Mark
Copyright 2008 Mark E. Hundley
