Thanksgiving Grace

Grace by John Holyfield

A day goes by and another one arrives, time moves forward as we pass through it. In your own way, you find ways to be thankful for what you have, for who is in your life and for what will be. Here in America, we celebrate the harvest time with a thanksgiving holiday.

Thanksgiving in Canada is much the same as it is in the United States; however, it is observed on a different day - the second Monday in October. Other parts of the world and different cultures celebrate thanksgiving. Although they are different from our own American tradition each of them revolve around giving thanks for life's blessings and the celebration of the autumn harvest.

In Great Britain, the Harvest festival is held late September or October. Jewish people celebrate Sukkot, a festival of thanksgiving that lasts nine days. The Festival of the Autumn Moon (Zhong Qui), is the Chinese celebration of thanksgiving. In southern India, people in Kerala hold the harvest festival of Onam. And a Lithuanian thanksgiving celebration involves the creation of a boba (meaning old woman) from the last sheaf of grain at harvest time.

For each of us, we have much to be thankful for in our lives. A holiday will remind us of this very thing, but we need to remind ourselves often as we go about our daily lives. A quote that I am unsure of its author says, "it isn't what you have in your pocket that makes you thankful, but what you have in your heart." Be thankful in your life and see it become more fulfilled.