Thanksgiving Grumbling or Gratitude

   When I initially think of Thanksgiving, my thoughts go straight to my stomach. My mouth starts watering as I picture gravy dripping off my turkey and onto the rich, fluffy stuffing. Yum! I wait all year for this day, and when it’s finally here—wow!—do I have something to be thankful for. Unfortunately, this attitude of thankfulness mostly seems to be contingent on the delicious meal my mother makes each year, although I also make an effort to be thankful for the family surrounding me. Now that I’m away at college, I admit I sometimes struggle a bit to feel thankful for them, though, because it seems that everyone wants to know what my grades are, how my friends are, and what horrible food I’ve been eating. They wear me out. Stuffing myself with a mouthful of turkey and cranberries helps keep the questions at bay. Still, it’s true—I am very thankful for both my family and the food, even though I may not show it. I wonder, however, about the rest of the year. Does my thankfulness extend all year long? Am I truly thankful for all the daily blessings provided for me? Do I consciously recognize them at all? It’s so easy to mumble an answer to my inquisitive relatives with a roll still between my teeth instead of feeling true gratitude for their presence. That’s unfortunate. Grumbling, mumbling, and complaining are some of the easiest habits I slip into as I go about daily life, yet during the Thanksgiving season, I instead wrap myself up in a temporary feeling of gratitude. The truth is, the more I complain, the more I dwell on the negative. Having an attitude of gratitude instead makes all the difference. When I am grateful for whatever comes my way, I find it easier to find peace with unpleasant situations. It’s less about passivity and more about acceptance and realizing that, as Lucius Annaeus Seneca put it, "A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials." Breaking the habit of complaining and grumbling makes us better people. When I complain, I tend to get more worked up about the situation. Negativity begets negativity. We should constantly strive to build up each other and set a good example for our kids, friends, and relatives. Thanksgiving isn’t just about being grateful for one day out of the year or scarfing down delicious food. The Thanksgiving season is an opportunity to remind ourselves to fight the urge to complain and to remember that gratitude is a lifestyle. Instead of avoiding my curious relatives’ questions, I choose to be grateful for the opportunity to share a bit of my life experiences with them. But please, pass the stuffing, too!    Nick Buscemi  has been associated with IEW since childhood when his father began working for the company. This has given him extensive experience with IEW's methods of speaking and writing, having taken many years of classes from Andrew Pudewa. Enjoying communicative interaction, Nick is majoring in Public Relations at the University of Oklahoma. Log in or register to post commentsNick Buscemis blog Log in or register to post comments