Thanks giving vs Thanksliving

I woke up yesterday thinking, I have alot to be thankful for... it was Thanksgiving after all.

The 3rd Thursday every November is a federal holiday in the USA. The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 but became official in 1863 by then President Abraham Lincoln. He said it was a national day of ''thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent father who dwelleth in the heavens''.

As the years after the civil war went by so did the traditions that came with Thanksgiving. The holiday became a time for family and friends to gather and enjoy each others company as well as good meals. Talking of meals, Turkey became a traditional course during Thanksgiving dinner. The wild turkey is a native American diet that was introduced to early pilgrims around 1620.

But, do we have to wait till a day in the year to give thanks?
As I pondered on then wrote down my ''thankful'' list, I was shocked to realize the several things, people and moments we take for granted daily. The very act of waking and going to sleep, walking and talking, even the fact that I can move my fingers unassisted is a miracle.
 

A wise man once said, Thanksgiving is a life style hence it should be ''thanks living''. Every day and every waking moment is worth giving thanks.  The word translated as ''thanksgiving'' or ''gratitude'' in Greek is ''eucharistos'' from the root word ''charis'' embeded in eucharist which means GRACE. This means ''thankgiving'' is a recognition of God's favor towards us and acknowledging it by a life of gratitude (thanksliving).


                                                                                   As the millions of family and friends gathered
for this special holiday and each share their reason for being thankful, the lesson to us all is to be appreciative of one another and thankful for the gift of each other.