Thanksgiving

Giving thanks should be second nature.  Oh, no, not to be taken for granted; but so common and so easy that in everything you give thanks.  That is thanksgiving as second nature.

            Thankfulness should be part of our everyday life.  It was in 1863 Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday.  With that being the case, it wasn't until 1942 that it was made a legal holiday- the fourth Thursday of every November.  It is interesting that both of these moves came when our nation was in the darkest days of two wars-Civil War and World War II.  The time to think of God and be thankful is not just in a time of crisis, but as a part of our everyday life.

            In the midst of the mundane things of life, it is easy to overlook the opportunity to give thanks.  No matter if it is a crises of world portions or a small situation at home, there is something to see as an opportunity to give thanks.  A friend with cancer told me that he really did not have that much to be thankful for, except that he had the pleasure of seeing another sunrise.  That is second nature thanksgiving.

            In an article entitled “Remembering to Say ‘Thank You’ dated January 17, 2000 the story of Peter Cummings is told as follows:

            “When Peter Cummings was a little boy, his mother told him how important it was to write thank-you notes. So it became second nature to him. And when he became chairman of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 1998, he began writing personal notes to anyone contributing $500 or more to the orchestra.

            His habit made news recently. When Mary Webber Parker donated $50,000 to the orchestra, Cummings sat down and composed a note to her. Two weeks later, she wrote back and promised another $50,000. Cummings wrote her again. The upshot of the exchanges was a donation of $500,000 a year for five years a most generous $2.5 million boon to the arts in Detroit.”

            Such a small, little thing as a note of thanks paid off with great dividends.  All of us who have had have been had someone in our lives who taught life's "little things."  But we tend to lose sight of them as we grow up, pursue our adult life goals, and focus on life's big things. We neglect them. Life grows a bit coarser. And we grump about today's young people and their lack of civility and good manners.

            There's nobody to blame but ourselves. What has happened is we have lost that second nature of thanksgiving.  Therefore we need to quit pointing fingers at teenagers and scolding our own children or grandchildren. Instead, pay attention to the little things that collectively compose and define life. A good beginning point is gratitude.

            Make it a point to today to thank someone for something.  Whether a person you know well or a stranger you are likely never to see again, respond to the man or woman who renders you a service, helps you with a project, or makes your world a bit more pleasant with a smile.  Do not do it in hopes of getting a Peter Cummings-like reward for being considerate or appreciative. Do it simply because it is right.

            Does your wife or your husband start the morning coffee?  Do you work for a good boss or have a loyal assistant?  Do you like the way the laundry does your shirts?  Do the people who service your car do it well? Does your Sunday School teacher do a good job with the class?  Then say so to that person. Or tell that person's supervisor or his or her company president about it.

            Even if you do nothing more than smile and nod to someone who holds a door for you or say thanks to the postman or UPS driver who delivers something to you, that moment of contact builds community.  It affirms another human being. It connects two people who may never know each other's names.

            Or maybe as with Peter Cummings there will be a reward in it for you.  It could even be something more valuable than money. You could make a friend or become a partner with God in nourishing a soul made in his own image.