November holiday about so much more than turkey

  • ANR
    ANR

    Giving thanks.
    It’s a simple premise, yet one often overlooked in today’s hustle and bustle world. We should pause this week to not only give thanks to friends and family who matter to us, but also to take stock and give thanks to ourselves.
    We all have God-given gifts and talents, treasures we spend a lifetime first discovering, then honing and putting to use. It’s an on-going process, to be sure, but an important one that helps us find inner happiness for which no one else bears responsibility.
    That inner peace and perspective matters more now than ever in today’s world, I believe. Watching the news on several fronts makes you wonder why and when so many began to focus so much on conflict and differences of opinion rather than hope and potential in our fellow man. There has always been and always will be conflict, but so too has there always been hope for a brighter future, and a shared belief in God. 
    Thanksgiving is a time to focus on that hope by pausing, in part to look inward. Certainly we are thankful for the inner circle of family and friends who add joy to our lives, but are we doing our best to appreciate our personal gifts and talents, and put them to use in a way that encourages others to do the same? If not, can we find the humility to recognize a need for change?
    Let’s take a timeout this holiday weekend, collectively and individually, to reflect, celebrate and share.
    Thanksgiving is about so much more than turkey with all the trimmings, though that is indeed a tasty tradition. This time of year we are reminded how much we have to be thankful for, but also how important it is to get off the grid and actually celebrate life’s blessings, to give thanks, and to look in the mirror and take stock of what that reflection is doing to help make others thankful as well.
    On this Thanksgiving holiday, the News-Register family sends all of you the best wishes, as well as a heartfelt thank you for letting us be part of the fabric of this wonderful community.
    -- Kurt Johnson