Happy Thanksgiving!

For all my American fans that celebrate, Happy Thanksgiving.  I can’t believe it’s here already.  First Halloween snuck up on me, and now this?  I must be getting old, as the time ratio of my life seems to be making events speed up.  So what’s this holiday all about anyway?  Well, if you look at the tradition and history of it you’ll find it’s mired in some controversy, like all the major holidays we observe.  So let’s not do that.  I ain’t your history teacher, so if you don’t know go do a little research.

So what does it mean in the most modern, general sense?  A time to take stock of the things in your life, give thanks for the good things, interact with family (often extended), watch football and a time to feast on traditional foods like turkey and yams.  How does this usually work?  People blurt out a few things that make them happy around the dinner table and pretend to be deep while appreciating them.  Listen folks, it doesn’t really work or have any meaningful lasting impact if you only think about these kind of things once a year.  Telling grandma your Thankful for her cranberry sauce doesn’t mean anything.  Like most people I complain a lot, so what I usually do is try to complain less around this time.  I have a feeling I’m not the only one who does it that way.  I do tend to take stock of my life and all the things in it many times every year, so it’s not exclusive to Thanksgiving.  In fact Thanksgiving isn’t a major time for me to do this.  I don’t believe it can be a set, prescribed time that everyone can do this.  Your country can’t mandate that you start appreciating things on a particular day.

So I suggest to you don’t go through the empty gesture of saying what your thankful for to people.  If you can genuinely take some time to self reflect and honestly start feeling grateful for things, well then that’s great.  And if you happen to be grateful for someone else in your life, let them know.  Don’t say in a hollow ritual, say it through kind actions.  Oh, and don’t limit them to today.

If you aren’t feeling all philosophical and introspective, please don’t pretend to be or make a half-assed attempt.  Just take the day for what it is, a wonderful opportunity to spend time with loved ones and connect as a family.

From all your extended family here at Black Snow Comics,

Have a happy Thanksgiving.