Thanksgiving or thanksgiving…

Seven years ago I worked on Thanksgiving Day at Stewarts Shops; known for their ice cream and milk. Stewarts also sells gas, food, beer & wine, and groceries. I worked the early shift with my manager Bob. Bob is the best boss I have ever had. I’ve worked for a lot of people, but Bob is one of those salt of the earth kind of guys.

Bob was the hardest worker in the shop even though he was the manager, which most times isn’t the case. When I am a manager I try to be the hardest worker as well. I have a lot of respect for him and enjoyed working my shifts with him.

As I worked making coffee, making food, ringing the register, and a million other tasks that are expected of you, I listened to Bob say, “Happy Thanksgiving” to our customers. What struck me every time he said it, was how he said it.

Bob put the emphasis on the “thanks” not giving. I always heard people including myself say it all in one word. Thanksgiving. What’s the difference? I will try to explain.

Bob said thanksgiving in a way of “giving thanks.” Thanks…giving as opposed to Thanksgiving. I thought about it after my shift and realized what Bob, a church-going man, was actually saying to people. I felt dumb that I never thought about the word or the meaning before.

I looked up the word thanksgiving. It really comes down to simple grammar. The holiday Thanksgiving is spelled with a capital T which is different than spelling it with a lower case t meaning, “the act of giving thanks.” Ah, now it made sense.

I think everyone, myself included thinks about Thanksgiving as a holiday. It is a holiday because Abraham Lincoln declared it a holiday of giving thanks back in 1863.

Growing up I was taught that the first Thanksgiving was celebrated by the pilgrims from the Mayflower and the indigenous people that used to be known as Native Americans or Indians way back then. It was a celebration of their first harvest together. From what I have read recently, that is all a bunch of bullshit.

Some say the first Thanksgiving took place in Virginia back in the 1600s. Some say the first Thanksgiving wasn’t the pretty picture that was painted for us, which I believe is most likely true.

America isn’t the only country that celebrates Thanksgiving, many countries and islands have their own Thanksgiving holidays in different months of the year.

To me, the act of giving thanks can be and should be something to do every day. Performing the act of giving thanks doesn’t require roasting a turkey or chowing down on pumpkin pie, it requires the simple act of thanking God, the universe, or whatever higher power you believe in.

Thanksgiving means more to most people in the last two years due to the pandemic than ever. Last year, families weren’t allowed to get together to celebrate the holiday. Many people lost loved ones and friends that they didn’t get to say goodbye to making everyone cherish our relationships more. We hug more now that we can and say, “I love you.”

Our country is a mess and covid is still running rampant throughout communities, but we still have so much to be thankful for. The first thing I do when I wake up every day is to give thanks…grateful I even woke up, something everyone doesn’t get to do.

After seeing the grocery store shelves empty last year I always give thanks in the store that the shelves are full. I am grateful we can pay for groceries, heat, and other basic necessities.

I am grateful for my family and friends. I am very grateful for our business and our customers. I am grateful for belly dance and that I still have the ability to dance for hours at a time and the wonderful women I have the pleasure to teach and dance with.

Finally, I am grateful that I had the balls to start a blog this year. I am beyond grateful for my readers and that you have chosen to come along on my journey with me. Thank you!

Happy Thanksgiving guys! Enjoy your holiday and know that thanksgiving can be something to celebrate every day and not just the fourth Thursday in November. Bon Appetite…