Forgotten holiday
By KRISTEN HOOPER
Director, Peabody Main Street Association
I will be honest — I am guilty of it too. We all are. I am especially this year with the planning of the Dec. 2 Western Wonderland event. I have overlooked an important holiday which seems to be barely surviving in the huge shadow of Christmas. Yes, it is Thanksgiving that I am referring to. Each year, this holiday seems to get pushed way side as stores put out Christmas merchandise as early as October.
Thanksgiving, as we all were taught as kids, is a time for family and friends, and to give thanks for all we have been blessed with.
This holiday season has taken on a new meaning for me and my family. With my mom's recent, but brief, hospitalization I have taken a deeper look into my priorities.
It is easy to become caught up in the hustle of daily life — I am definitely guilty of that — and to forget where you heart really is. A small confession: In the last five years I have missed four Thanksgivings. The reasons at the time I felt were validated but in retrospect weren't. It wasn't the food that I missed, although I did miss the chicken and noodles that my grandma makes special for me every year, but it was the chance to make memories with those who are most important to me.
I have had the privilege to work with numerous people in this community and understand that family, friends, and the community are all things which are highly valued here. I just wanted to gently remind everyone to make time for the things that are really important. This holiday season I would like to challenge each of you to slow down and reflect on all of your blessings. Take a moment to appreciate the time it took to prepare the Thanksgiving feast you will enjoy, and to recognize all of extra things that others have done for you.
This Thanksgiving let's actually be thankful and appreciate all we have been blessed with, and make a valid effort next year to enjoy each holiday as it comes without rushing through it.
