The Soul of Thanksgiving

The Soul of Thanksgiving
by Rebecca A Field

© Galina Barskaya | Dreamstime.com

I was hardly ‘dry behind the ears’ when, as a very young, scared and new teacher in Alaska, I asked my seventh grade class to write a little essay on what they thought about Thanksgiving and what it meant to them.

One little girl came to me and said, “My family doesn’t believe in parties or festivities. We don’t have Thanksgiving. I don’t know what to say.” Frankly, I was dumfounded and searched within myself, as quickly as possible, for a good alternative for her.

It was hard to believe anyone not having Thanksgiving. Momentarily words failed me. Then I asked, “Well, you and your family do believe in gratitude and giving thanks, don’t you?”

Fortunately for me she answered, “Yes.” I would have been totally lost if she hadn’t said, “Yes!”     “Then write about gratitude,” I suggested.

In the United States, Thanksgiving is a lovely holiday, a time when families get together and enjoy each other and have good food and conversation.

It is a special holiday because it is about family and good relationships. US Thanksgiving is a relaxed holiday, a kind of unforced holiday when family members can be themselves.

Even though many travel across the country to be with loved ones, there is nothing forced about American Thanksgiving. You don’t have to buy gifts, dress up, send greeting cards or buy flowers or fireworks. It isn’t a religious or politically based holiday; its purpose is just to give thanks for all of life’s many blessings and to be conscious and aware of the multi-dimensional good life offers, especially the relationships!

In my desire to be fair about this holiday, our Canadian neighbors also have Thanksgiving and they tell me it is pretty much the same as the American Thanksgiving except that it is not quite such an important holiday in Canada. Not so much travel is involved for grandparents. Maybe the dinner is smaller and a little more reasonable. But the holiday has a special flavor for Canadians too!

American Thanksgiving is simple and usually consists of a turkey dinner ‘with all the trimmings’ and includes vegetables, several kinds of potatoes and some kind of cranberry sauce. The food matches the fall colors of trees turning red and gold. Foods often have the colors of nature and are white, golden, red, green, orange and brown. The companionship of family and friends is rich in memories.

Around these especially festive dinners and the abundant memories of the past and the prayerful attitude that goes with Thanksgiving, there is ample space for light-filled souls to release the energy of gratitude to those present and to humanity wherever they are.

It is significant that the people of two nations, Canada and the United States celebrate Thanksgiving, each in their own way. In the Ukraine and countries influenced by the Eastern Orthodox tradition there are harvest celebrations that undoubtedly release the same kind of energy.

In fact there are probably many countries which give thanks sometime during the year in way or another making gratitude a universal song, a sort of homage to the richness we are surrounded by.

Considering Thanksgiving from the standpoint of releasing positive energy to the world, giving thanks—having a heart full of gratitude—is a service to humanity, especially when the energy is consciously sent. It is the soul of humankind’s oneness and a hallmark of our contribution to others.

Rebecca

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