Is the life of an ingrate worth living?
Even one blessed with the most beautiful home, the fastest car, the largest bank account balance, etc, what does it amount to if the one with such bounty doesn't appreciate it.
It's not uncommon in Christian households to conduct a brief ritual of thanks, of appreciation before a meal. "Saying grace." But one need not be Christian to "count your blessings".
The holiday* of Thanksgiving coincides with the Autumn harvest. Thanksgiving provides an opportunity to appreciate the luxury of not having to survive by foraging hand to mouth as a hunter / gatherer on daily basis.
There's no denying the religious overtones, even the definition of the word holiday makes that clear. But the reality is it's humanity, community, civilization, division of labor that we have to thank for this bounty, albeit with a generous collaboration from a thriving ecosystem.
Before the feast, remember the farmers that produce, the teamsters that transport, the retailers that keep the stores open, the workers that stock the shelves, and all the others that do their share in running a mostly peaceful, prosperous society. Thank you one and all.
Even one blessed with the most beautiful home, the fastest car, the largest bank account balance, etc, what does it amount to if the one with such bounty doesn't appreciate it.
It's not uncommon in Christian households to conduct a brief ritual of thanks, of appreciation before a meal. "Saying grace." But one need not be Christian to "count your blessings".
The holiday* of Thanksgiving coincides with the Autumn harvest. Thanksgiving provides an opportunity to appreciate the luxury of not having to survive by foraging hand to mouth as a hunter / gatherer on daily basis.
There's no denying the religious overtones, even the definition of the word holiday makes that clear. But the reality is it's humanity, community, civilization, division of labor that we have to thank for this bounty, albeit with a generous collaboration from a thriving ecosystem.
Before the feast, remember the farmers that produce, the teamsters that transport, the retailers that keep the stores open, the workers that stock the shelves, and all the others that do their share in running a mostly peaceful, prosperous society. Thank you one and all.
* hol·i·day (hŏlĭ-dā′) n. 1. A day free from work that one may spend at leisure, especially a day on which custom or the law dictates a halting of general business activity to commemorate or celebrate a particular event. 2. A religious feast day; a holy day. 3. Chiefly British A vacation. Often used in the phrase on holiday. [Middle English holidai, holy day, from Old English hālig dæg : hālig, holy; see HOLY + dæg, day; see DAY.] The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved. |