Here we go! Ready or not they are upon us. Wow, as the old adage goes, where has the year gone? In a matter of days those tall lit green trees will be everywhere and the mad rush to Christmas will be crashing down upon us. (Even as I pen this tonight, I know of some who had their Christmas lights installed at home and another bargaining with family members to bring down the Christmas decoration so their 124 Santas may breathe again.) Soon the craft store shoppers will be swiping stuff from your basket just as soon as you turn around and the traffic jams will jack with your patience… Sounds a little melodramatic doesn’t it? OK, sorry. I’m getting ahead of myself. Before we speak of Santa, the Grinch (of which I am not…dispite what my kids think) and baby Jesus, we get to gorge our guts on some delectable delights from the kitchen. Most call it Thanksgiving. Yay!
Why my excitement? Simple. Yes, no doubt I will have my fair share of food, but more than that two things get to happen. See, before I get caught up in the mad rush of Christmas, I want to get slowed down for the one Thursday out of the year when most of us pause for a special day. Oh I know I’ll be putting my order in to my various family members for my favorites for dinner that day; each of which had to be present on the dinner table all growing up. In fact, I would say just about every one of them have their roots in my mom. Oh was she ever crazy. Crazy, but boy did I love her. She loved to have everyone home for Thanksgiving. There is not a year I can remember that the same thing didn’t happen. She’d always stress about the house, it had to be clean. She’d make us all be cleaned for dinner, no shorts and tee shirts. All the right things had to be prepared (each kid put their request in). And we’d all have to clean up afterwards.
But what I share with you today is what all those years instilled in me that I, to this day, want to continue to experience each year.
First, I get to spend time with family. Though it remains to be seen just how this year’s day will pan out, I assure you I will be with family. Either with my aunt and uncle and as many of my siblings as possible in East Texas or with my own family possible in College Station, I will enjoy the day hanging out with family. Yes, I do enjoy you and like most of you, however on Thanksgiving Day, Eagle Hardware will be proudly CLOSED. Shut up, locked up, and alarm set, in order that I get to relax with my peeps (for those over the age of 18, peeps is a trendy word for family and/or friends). I am so looking forward to it. Though the meal, I am sure, will be wonderful and the Cowboys will be on the TV, it will be the time with each of them that will make my day. Somehow I have ended up sappy when it comes to family. I know why, I blame my mom. Hidden in all her stress and preparations what her ultimate desire to be with those she loved. I know I am now her son, I desire the same. And hear me say, I can’t wait.
And just as much as I look forward to seeing everyone that day, there is no way I will let the day pass that I not stop and truly acknowledge my appreciation to the big boy upstairs for all that he continues to do in my life. Wow am I blessed. I have so much for which to be thankful! See that’s what Thanksgiving is all about, being thankful. Not getting ready for Christmas or mapping out your Black Friday deals but stopping, pausing and being thankful for all you have. Now look, you know me. I’m not asking you to contemplate your naval and sit in a still quite room and make a list of all the neat good things you have and then sappy-like announce a thank you to various ones. Nope, I think just pausing long enough to realize that you have a lot to be thankful for and a simply, thank you is enough. I say, ultimately, we all ought to be thankful to the man upstairs for everything but heck, why not use the day to thank others in your life for what spice they may bring to you.
And therein lies my assignment for you this month. Bet you didn’t expect you’d have to do something out of this. This month you do. It is quite simple. This year as you plan out your day, be sure you spend some time with the ones you love. And if it can’t be that Thursday, I’m sure that’ll be just fine. But do it, spend time with your family. Part two is that which I just mentioned, sometime during the course of Thanksgiving Day, consider all the things for which you are thankful. I am sure you too have much for which to be thankful.
I conclude by thanking you! Thank you for making the choice to shop and Eagle Hardware. I know I say it often but I mean it. There are plenty of places to buy your feed, hay, nuts, bolts and concrete but that you choose to stop at Eagle Hardware is appreciated. No I wont contemplate my navel and you at the same time and be thankful for both but I will think about you on Thanksgiving Day. For without you, Eagle wouldn’t be what it is today and I know I wouldn’t be as blessed as I am today. Thank you and even better, Thank You to the man upstairs. You are good.
Happy Thanksgiving.