Christmas is in December

Maybe it's because I was born on Thanksgiving, but I don't understand why people are putting up Christmas decorations already. It's not that they are taking advantage of the decent weather. They have the lights on and the blow-up snowmen inflated. They must be taking their cue from retail stores which have had Christmas decor for sale since September, and have been playing Christmas music since November 1st, as soon as Halloween was over.

I worked retail for several years which, for me, took away some of the joy of the Christmas season. Listening to Christmas music for almost 2 months gets old, as does seeing the decorations for that long. I love Christmas and all the traditions associated with it, but I am so done with the commercialized frenzy and the pressure to "buy, buy, buy". It definately takes away some of the wonder of the season. All the build up makes the Big Day feel like a let down.

November is harvest season and a time to reflect on the abundance that the Earth provides. I am reminded of this when I see the farmers working in the dark to harvest corn and soybeans or when I am driving behind a slow-moving combine or tractor. Without the hard work and long hours put in by farmers and their families, we wouldn't have the bountiful food the rest of us so easily buy at the store. The next time you are impatiently trying to pass a big farm machine, take a moment to realise the guy driving it is just trying to get to work, too, so that you and your family will have food to eat. Be thankful that he is working so hard.

This Thanksgiving, when I sit down to our family feast with more food than we can possibly eat, I will reflect and be thankful that I live in a place where a humble few provide for the rest of us, and that our food is plentiful and easy to acquire. I'll think about the Pilgrims and the hardships they endured and how far removed most Americans are today from those hardships. This is the reason for Thanksgiving. It's not a precursor to Black Friday and the commercial Christmas craziness.