What Ever Happened to Thanksgiving?

The other day I was flipping through the channels and I came across ABC family and stopped for a moment and in that brief moment I saw that they were advertising the "Countdown to the Countdown to Christmas." And I shook my head. Every year it seems Christmas decorations go up earlier, Christmas music starts playing sooner and everyone starts looking forward to Holiday sales. Now, do not get me wrong, I love Christmas and it truly is one of my favorite times of the year, but what frustrates me is that the more we get all pumped up for Christmas and the sooner we start to do so, the more we push aside and ignore Thanksgiving. I believe that Thanksgiving has truly become the holiday that we just try to get through so that it can be more "appropriate" for us to play Christmas music only. For us to get our Christmas shopping done and for us to get into the "holiday mood." However that is not what Thanksgiving is about. This holiday shouldn't be brushed aside and passed over just because we are excited about Christmas. Instead, it should be a time that we gather around with those we love, sit around a table for once to share a meal and simply pause and give thanks. I mean, is it really too much to ask that we pause and give thanks for just one day out of the year? Is it really too much to ask that you pause and slow down for one day and put your Christmas shopping to do list on hold just long enough to give thanks to the One who gave you everything you have to begin with? And on a personal note, Thanksgiving for many of us is one of the few times during the year that we see some of our family, so maybe we should just pause and enjoy that time especially since we are not guaranteed another Thanksgiving with them. That is something that has really been on my heart as this Thanksgiving approaches. Because just tonight as I thought about Thanksgiving pasts and remembered the fond times I had as a child going out playing football with my family, I was hit suddenly by fact that my uncle Mark, who used to be an important part of this tradition sadly won't be with us this Thanksgiving and I am reminded that what is important this Thanksgiving, is that I truly do pause and spend time with the my family and stop and give thanks for the thousands of blessings I have because I'm not guaranteed the next one. So, let us all pause and give Thanks this year and let us not rush past Thanksgiving in order to get to Christmas.