Keeping things in Perspective

Hi Everyone,


Well, fall is definately here and I can't believe that Thanksgiving is just around the corner, literally. The stores are packed with all the fixings for Thanksgiving dinner. All the grocery stores have sales on turkey and dressing. 


It's far too easy to  get caught up in all the hustle and bustle and forget about the real meaning of Thanksgiving. It's not  just about eating turkey and stuffing or spending some time with realitives watching the bowl games. It's about taking a day, and making a conscience effort to remember the things and the people for which we are truly grateful. Sometimes it's the smallest of things that reminds us of our humanity. And recently I learned about another meaning of Thanksgiving. One I had never thought about before. One that really made me appreciate this holiday even more. 

Since I'm been an adult, Thanksgiving has been my favorite holiday. Before that, as a kid, it was a toss up between Christmas and Halloween. I love cooking and sharing the food with others. I love inviting any of my friends who had no family in the area so they didn't have to spend the holiday alone. Before dinner I always asked everyone to gather around and share a few things they were thankful for.

After dinner all the ladies would pitch in and help with the clean up: packing up the left overs, standing around the sink washing dishes, drying them and putting them away. As silly as this sounds, this was my favorite part. We all talked and shared stories about other holidays, our kids, our grandkids, anything. We laughed and joked and had a great ole time almost like taking a step back in time.

The last few years, since I went back to working a regular job, I haven't been able have the Thanksgiving I like. But I've been blessed to still have that sense of community thanks to two wonderful people, Dave and Linda Bruce. It is the same wonderful Thanksgiving sharing, except I don't get to do all the cooking and they have a dishwasher. So after  dinner, people watch the bowl game, shoot pool or sit out back talking. It great time for all. A wonderful chance to reflect on all we have to be grateful for: everything from the roof over our head to the fact that we live in a country that affords us so much freedom, and everything inbetween. That was what Thanksgiving meant to me, until now. Recently, I learned another meaning of Thanksgiving.

But did you ever wonder why we have a huge meal to celebrate Thanksgiving? Most of us were raised with the story of the Pilgrims. We probably never thought about the fact that the original Thanksgiving probably happened much earlier in the year, because by the end of November, the Pilgrims were way past harvest time. But besides that, what is the real significance of having a feast? 

I recently learned the answer to that question and it is something that never occurred to me before. Today, most of us take for granted that we'll have food throughout the winter. If you run out of something, you run to the store and get what you need. Right? We forget that it wasn't like that as little as 80 years.

The average American before that time relied on their garden and what animals they raised or hunted for the majority of their food. Thoughout the time of harvest they would can and store as much as possible the get them through the winter. There was little or no running to the "store" to get more food if your ran out so whatever you could store up was all there was till spring. A large feast could seriously deplete those stores. By having that Thanksgiving dinner, our ancestors were saying, we have faith that we will have enough, that we will be alright.

For me it was a new way of looking at my favorite holiday. Once again I have to credit Jack Spirco and his "A Survivalists View of Thanksgiving" episode at www.thesurvivalpodcast.com  for this insight. Give that episode a listen. You'll learn much, and be inspired even more.

For me, that insight brings a spirit of hope to Thanksgiving that was lacking before, a spirit of faith and joy that can so often be missing in our daily lives. I know that with so many people struggling, it is even more important than ever to keep things in perspective. I hope you find that spirit of hope and future promise in your Thanksgiving this year.

Well, that's all for now. Next week is going to slammed at work, but I will do my best to keep in touch. Thanks for letting me be a part of your live. I'll see you next time. Until then, keep prepping because what you do matters, and remember, "Just 'cause there's snow on the rooftop, doesn't mean there ain't a fire in the fireplace."

Candy