Thursday, November 27, 2008

BEGRATEFUL


Ah, Thanksgiving. One of the few holidays that hasn't been commandeered by retailers and commercialized to the extreme. It's not about decorations, gifts, or even activities--other than the eating, of course--so the few things we are expected to purchase for the holiday are ingredients for that one delicious meal.

Though I'll admit I find it amusing at times that a holiday can revolve so much around certain foods, I also find it rather wonderful that Thanksgiving is really about that: Giving thanks. Acknowledging blessings. Gathering with family to appreciate the good in your life and in the world.

My family has the typical tradition of discussing what we are grateful for during our Thanksgiving meal. We also keep a "thankful chain" that we add to each year, documenting what we are grateful for in links on a paper chain. We try to show gratitude to friends, family, and so many others in various ways, and we pray as a family regularly, which is one of our consistent outlets for expressing our thankfulness. But no matter how much I try to say or do to convey my gratitude in life, I feel I come up short. It's like being in a foreign country and having so much you want to say, but lacking the language to say it. I feel like there is simply no adequate way to express my gratitude.

Which makes this post very frustrating. So much to be thankful for, so impossible to name it all...

Fortunately we saw BOLT today, and Rhino the hamster taught me a new word. A word that will empower me when I feel unable to express myself in situations like these.

His line, something to this effect: "I am awesome. I am soooo awesome, I am beyond awesome. I am BEAWESOME!"

My adaption: "I am Grateful. I am soooo grateful, I am beyond grateful. I am BEGRATEFUL!"

So happy Thanksgiving to my friends and family. I am begrateful for you all!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

We agree 100% with you. We are so grateful for the many blessings we receive each and everyday. Words just cannot express what our hearts feel. You are all right there in the middle, filling up all of our heart.
We love you all so very much.
Love, Dad and Mom Maughan-alias Papa LeRoy and Grandma Teri

Tamara Atkin said...

We went to the movies as a family as well. We were either going to see Bolt or Madagascar 2, since those were the two animated movies out. Someone pushed for Madagascar 2 and so we went with all the cousins and grandparents. It was a bad choice, fortunately I slept through a good amount of it. Hopefully Bolt was better.

heymaughan said...

Ha!!! Bolt probably was better, but I still slept through a good chunk of it. Holidays just wear us out, I guess--we're getting OLD!

Anonymous said...

Ditto!!