Vacation's over

During the flight back to school after the holiday came to a close I was once again inspired by my need to avoid doing my homework assignments to write about my short vacation. Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday when it is used to remember more than just what it feels like to eat twice what we weigh (which might not be on our mind when you love pecan pie as much as I do). It is not a time to prepare our stomachs for Christmas dinner but to prepare our minds for the Christmas season. I find it interesting the way the year is structured. After many holidays that are leisurely and fun we stumble into a holiday that is specifically reserved for gratitude. We spend the most of the year enjoying life and then have a time set aside for being grateful for that life. Hopefully after the allure of gravy smothered goodness has brought the family together we are forced to talk about unique experiences we've had before slipping into a tryptophan induced coma. Just don't talk with your mouth full.

Then after the moment with family when we are forced to remember how awesome our lives are we have a holiday that inspires charity and selflessness. We carry those feelings of gratitude over into a month of giving and helping. There is no better time. We are consumed by it which then inspires us for when New Years rolls around. We have optimistic feeling towards what we can accomplish during this New Year and we set goals accordingly much like after a week of work Sunday allows us to refresh and prepare ourselves for the next week. Thanksgiving is not a day to celebrate turkey but the perfect start of a process that helps make us better people. Optimism is easy when surrounded by family with a full stomach and a carton of eggnog in your hand. Yes, more eggnog.