In rush to Christmas, there’s time to give thanks

OAlan Miller

nly two days have passed since Thanksgiving, and while many of us have rushed from the turkey and stuffing toward Christmas trees and holiday lights, it’s worth savoring Thanksgiving a little longer.

Thanksgiving has become a day for family and friends to gather and share a meal, to give thanks for one another and to celebrate the collective bounty we have in the United States.

And then, because we have a day or two off work, we go shopping or to watch or play football without taking much time to count our blessings.

That could be in reaction to all of the distractions in our lives — from electronic gadgets to social media to the political rancor and the recent series of natural disasters.

It can be challenging to give thanks while knowing that families are suffering today because of the latest shooting rampage — at a Chicago hospital on Monday. And that others are dealing with the significant loss of life in the California wild fires. And yet others in our midst are struggling with addiction, poverty or a medical crisis.

These thoughts weigh heavy on us, and they should, but they should not overshadow the reasons to give thanks.

President George Washington issued a proclamation in 1789 declaring the first national day of thanksgiving,