Gratitude, some thoughts

Gratitude n \ˈgra-tə-ˌtüd, -ˌtyüd\: the state of being grateful: thankfulness (Merriam-Webster.com)

I wanted to write a post in time for Thanksgiving, but as usual, I missed my deadline. Nonetheless, I will write something.

My original thought was to examine the things I'm thankful for through defining "gratitude". Then I realized that the post was becoming a rant on how bad Black Friday is, and how America doesn't understand the meaning of Thanksgiving. I'll admit that both of those statements are harsh, but there is something about them that I won't completely let go of. To keep things a little lighter than intended, I'll start with what I'm thankful for.

The other night, my parents and I got home from Big Game, the famous battle between the warring SF Bay schools: the Cal Bears and Stanfurd. And yes, the misspelling is intended. When we got home, we were so cold, wet, and tired from the rainy game, that all we could think about was getting warm. My immediate action was to go upstairs and get in my sweats, where I realized I'd left the bathroom window open. By the time I'd shut the window, I was shivering violently. I quickly got ready for bed, grabbed a wool blanket from the hall cabinet to put over my down comforter, and snuggled in between my flannel sheets as the rain spattered on the roof above. I continued to shiver violently for about 5 minutes before I drifted off to sleep. Before I slept, however, I thought, "Thank God for my blankets, and a roof over my head".

This, my friends, should be the root of all gratitude: taking a moment to think of what we have that many others do not. Unfortunately, there were probably dozens, maybe hundreds, maybe thousands of people in the Bay Area that night who didn't have a real roof over their heads, or a good blanket to keep them warm. Obviously, the next step should be donating money or warm items this time of year to ensure that people have what they need. There were plenty of stories on the News the past few days about restaurants, shelters, churches, and individuals making sure that impoverished families could have a proper Thanksgiving meal this year.

The most creative was an episode of "Extreme Couponing" where a woman got items to donate to charity through coupons. She planned her couponing so well that she even had the store pay her instead of her paying the store. Pretty awesome! Then she donated about 800lbs. of food to her nearby food bank. She gave because of the terrible memories she had of her family not being able to provide for her kids. Now that she can provide for her kids and more, she gives back to the community through her passion for couponing! Find out more at The TLC website.

Anyway, my family and I were sitting around the table before dinner yesterday, and we gave a toast to a good year past and best wishes for the future. We each said what we were thankful for: kept jobs and found jobs, my graduation from college, my Nana being alive, all of us being safe, etc. Not once did we mention the electronics we had, the new App we had on our iPhones, or how many comments we had on Facebook to-date. None of that mattered. We were simply glad to know that we were financially stable in these economic times so far, and that we had family still alive with whom we could share our successes.

This is where my hatred of Black Friday comes in. I completely support the Occupy Movement's targeting big retail today, because all in all, those companies have taken our gratitude for other people and turned it around. Sure, you might be going out to buy a new laptop for your sister or brother or mother or whoever instead of yourself, but the companies out there are still taking advantage of those feelings for your friends and family. They turn those feelings into the frenzied America searching for the "perfect gift" for someone, all the while thinking they got a great deal on this or that.

The reality is that these "savings" create an even more ridiculous culture of consumerism. Is it really worth saving 20 bucks to camp out in front of a store all night? Is it really worth the possibility of being trampled at a store opening to get that special someone something so material? Save yourself some piece of mind and try creating something for that special someone this year. Or buy something to donate to charity. The truth is, you're spending way more than you would during the wee hours of the morning than you would on a full nights' sleep. There is also the thought in your mind you're walking away with more than what you paid for when, again, you might have bought more than you would on a normal day. Black Friday, in my own humble opinion, is simply a gross encouragement of American greed and overindulgence.

So, if you did end up going out for Black Friday this year, I ask you to put aside that shiney new thing you bought yourself or for someone else, and just think about what you have that you honestly could not live without. Then realize that there are millions in this world that do not have what you have, even on the basic level. If you don't believe me, or if you need an example, click here for Horn of Africa Famine news, or here for hunger here in the SF Bay Area. Consider donating $15 to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation to save a child's life from contracting HIV from their mother. Either way, you'll be helping others that do not and cannot attain the goods, services, etc. that you have on an immediate basis.

There is plenty to be thankful for, and I might make this a theme for the Holiday season just to keep the thought process going. I'll leave it at that.

As always, if you have an comments, please feel free to post.