Lynyrd Skynyrd. Turkey. And You.
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I took my daughters to see the movie Freebirds a few weeks back. Now, before you go getting yourself all excited about the idea of a Lynyrd Skynyrd rockumentary, refocus your eyes and realize there was an “s” at the end of that word.
Freebirds is one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. The premise is cute, though: present day turkeys discover a time machine which they use to travel back in time to the very first Thanksgiving feast – at which they substitute pizza for turkey, thereby changing the holiday’s tradition and protecting the lives of millions of turkeys forever.
And as I’m watching this movie, my mind drifts to anything other than the storyline. I start wondering if I have any text messages. None, darn. Maybe a new email that I have to reply to right away? Zilch. Then I realize it’s Sunday evening and nobody is working anyway. So I start thinking about turkey. I wonder to myself how important turkey really is to Thanksgiving. I mean, if next week we didn’t have turkey at our family Thanksgiving dinner, would it still be Thanksgiving.
Answer: it depends.
It depends on:
- Whether Thanksgiving is more about the meal than it is about the conversation.
- Whether Thanksgiving is more about the meal than it is about the memories.
- Whether Thanksgiving is more about the meal than it is about the laughter.
- Whether Thanksgiving is more about the meal than it is about family.
- Whether Thanksgiving is more about the meal than it is about gratitude.
Yes, turkey is part of the tradition. It’s a big part. But it’s not the most important part. The most important part is the feeling you have when you’re with your loved ones, the thoughts of gratitude with which you feed your mind, and the momentary respite from your everyday life.
Bob Dylan once remarked that “[t]he purpose is to stop time.” I think the same could be said about family gatherings. Especially those that take place on a Thursday – a day when you’d normally be at work.
Think about Thanksgiving as an opportunity to stop time. Think of it as a Sabbath of sorts. A day without work. A day of reflection. Think of the good things. Think of the good times. And, this year, instead of (or in addition to) coming up with a list of all the things you’re grateful for, focus your thoughts of gratitude on one thing: Thanksgiving Day itself.
Be grateful for the time. Be grateful for the opportunity. Be grateful for the day. And, be grateful for the food – whatever you choose to eat. Me? I’ll be eating turkey.
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