Many of the poorest people I know are actually the happiest. Their days may be filled with strife of how to put a warm meal on the table, but once they settle down for dinner, they always give thanks. They know the value of that meal and the value of their family.
That’s because money doesn’t feed the soul.
This Thanksgiving, I have been thinking very much about the soul and how it should be fed.
Many people forget the meaning of the words THANKS and GIVING. To give thanks but also…to give.
Thanksgiving is not all about food, though nourishment is one step of feeding the soul.
The second part of feeding your soul is giving. At the gas station, pay for the person behind you. Give a free warm meal to a homeless person. Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Give money to charity. Do something nice for a total stranger. Do something nice for a friend. Hug someone. Talk to someone that looks down.
The third part of feeding the soul, is being thankful for the things you already have been blessed with. Taking note of these things creates space in your heart for new things to come. Remember to never live in envy and jealous. Wish others well. Instead remember all the good things you have and be thankful and grateful for them.
All of these things will feed your soul.
Black Friday is a Capitalist ploy to get you very far away from the Thanks and Giving and more to the money, money, money.
This Black Friday, if you have to buy, why not buy at a local store- therefore supporting your community? Why not buy something for someone who deserves it, like your son’s school teacher? Or the mailman? Or the waitress at the corner diner you always go to?
Spreading love, being thankful, and sharing the spirit of giving is what this holiday is all about.
Don’t get fooled by the media that this holiday is all about slaughter, and gluttony and greed.
Take the holiday back! Feed the soul, and make yourself and someone else happy in the process.
From my family to yours.
Happy THANKS-GIVING!
I’ve been very troubled this holiday with regards to how family and community has been minimized. I am shocked with how many people I know working this holiday weekend! These are college educated people! Its funny the poor have always been the canary in the coal mine, precursors to what would happen to the upper classes. How we treat the “least among us” is a window into our values. In this capitalistic society everyone is scared. So they go out and buy crap they don’t need, they don’t say anything when forced to work on a holiday. I’m just not sure how we get out of this as a nation.
It’s terrible how people twist holiday, not just this one. All we can do is do good and hope it spreads to others.