There has been a “trend” going around Facebook, and I’m going to be honest, I will not participate.
This trend is for the whole month of November. Each day, people will update their status and say, “Day 13: Today, I am thankful for…”
Although it is sweet for people to do this, and I’m not criticizing anyone what does take part in this at all, I just don’t completely agree with it.
According to my second-grade teacher, Mrs. Burya, the first Thanksgiving was an example of respect and cooperation between two different cultures – the American Indians and the Puritans.
If I can remember correctly, The American Indians and Puritans were thankful for the abundance of food that they could all share together, creating the holiday of Thanksgiving.
After stumbling upon an article in National Geographic, I learned that in the 19th century, President Lincoln declared two national Thanksgivings – one for the Battle of Gettysburg and America’s Thanksgiving in November, to give thanks.
This leads me to my point of the Facebook status posts. I personally don’t need a day or a month to let my Facebook friends – or anyone – know what I’m thankful for.
Just because it is November, Thanksgiving shouldn’t be the reason you’re going out of your way to thank those who deserve it.
This is why I refuse to take part in this “trend.” I am thankful every morning I wake up just to see another day.
Every day I sit in class – even though sometimes I don’t want to be there – I know there are people out there who would love to get the chance to have a higher education, such as college, and my mother gave me the privilege to pursue this.
I believe that Thanksgiving has a more simplistic meaning than people make it out to be. Of course, we should be thankful we get such a delightful meal. But more importantly, just gathering together with ones we love gives us more to be thankful for.
Leave it to Americans to say, “Let’s make this day a day of thanks, oh and eat lots of food.” In reality, we should be thankful each and every day. I’m sure plenty of people are grateful every day, but we just don’t show it.
I don’t want this to be a cliché column where I talk about what I’m thankful for or that people’s morals aren’t set in the right place. One, who am I to judge someone based on a silly “trend.” And two, we all have different morals – mainly because everyone was raised differently.
Some use this holiday to give thanks, and that’s OK. Others use this holiday simply to remain in a food coma, while sitting next to your rather large uncle who’s passed out on the TV remote, leaving you to watch football for the remainder of the day.
All I’m saying is, I don’t need Thanksgiving to recognize how fortunate I am to live the life I do.
COLLEEN LANGHAM
