Where’s Thanksgiving?

That question is actually phrased incorrectly, it should be “What happened to Thanksgiving” but I kept it that way because that’s exactly how my daughter phrases her question every time she sees a Christmas Commercial, sees Christmas images drawn on a restaurant’s window and when she hears Christmas songs on the radio.

Where's Thanksgiving

Christmas decorations seem to be in full force earlier and earlier each year. Usually they bypass Thanksgiving (which is unfortunate) but this year they had Christmas items out before Halloween. You can tell it’s excessive when a 7 year old is picking up on it’s infringement upon Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Decorations

Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Christmas (for me it’s less about the gifts and more about its significance, so I am all about celebrating it) but I think it should wait until after Thanksgiving. After all, we have an entire month to celebrate Christmas.

While I feel that we should be thankful for what we have every day of the year, Thanksgiving Day is a time for us to break bread and spend time with those we love, reflect on our blessings, truly think about what we’re thankful for and create special memories. Unfortunately, that’s not the message society is teaching our children these days (Don’t even get me started on Black Friday starting even earlier each year). So now more than ever, it is my job as a parent to show my kiddos otherwise.

I don’t want them always rushing to the next big thing, never enjoying what they have in front of them, opting for more “stuff instead of making memories with those we love and cherish most. It’s going to be an on going challenge BUT Challenge Accepted!

Here’s hoping that we all take the time to be thankful for all that we have and to prioritize what we hold dear to us. Happy Thanksgiving!

**A special shout out to my daughter who, at the age of 7 years old, has inspired me to write this post. So thankful and proud that you get it Little Girl!**