I mentioned during the my podcast that you will probably read this after Thanksgiving, which is perfectly fine because this current post is designed to help you understand the meaning of the holiday and how it seems to affect us all in very dramatic ways. I hope to illustrate that the gathering of friends and relatives serves to reassure us and the memories of those encounters can last a lifetime.
I say that because this year there is a shortened time frame between Thanksgiving and Christmas and with all the Black Friday emails and announcements, somehow Thanksgiving has gotten lost in the rush of sales and bargains. It was with that in mind that I decided to have others take you on their own personal Coactive Dreams journey by describing their fondest memories of the day.
As I started the journey I had to grab people wherever I could find them, in meetings, at the store, on the sidewalk or any place I could get them to take a moment to just reflect on what the holiday meant for them and what they remembered most about it. What I found amazing was how easily everyone went with their mind’s eye to the exact moment that touched them. For some it was not that long ago, for others it was images held from a time long, long ago. But for each of them there was a very vivid memory of the time and place and the love and warmth they received from it.
What also was an enlightened moment for me was the fact that despite all the money spent to advertise things to buy the day after Thanksgiving, no one mentioned a big screen TV or anything they had on a list or hoped to receive; they all recounted a feeling of being loved, safe, or simply glad to share a moment that made them laugh or feel blessed to be around those they cared about.
That sense of well being is something of value that seems to move beyond even money and is part of the reason I mentioned at the beginning that it was OK for you to be reading this the day after Thanksgiving. Knowing how profoundly those you care about can be affected simply by your presence gives you a whole year to prepare and plan to help someone you know create memories like the ones described in the podcast episode.