I blinked and it’s November. I’m not sure how that happened, but it did. On Friday, the grocery store had an isle of what I call Christoweens — half Halloween candy and half Christmas goodies. If not already, stores will be playing Christmas music very soon.

With the holidays around the corner, that means everyone starts being more rushed and stressed. Instinctively this weekend, I’ve found myself thinking, “I’m not ready, I’m still behind from last month!”

Unfortunately, rather than focusing on the remembrance of thanksgiving this month, the to-do lists, holiday planning, and shopping often overshadows the importance of giving thanks. Thanksgiving often means a day that we spend time cooking, then gorge ourselves with food, only to then stand in the kitchen cleaning up for hours while the men watch football. Then after the gorge-yourself day comes early-morning-shopping day to get the best sales. Which then creates another day called why-did-I-spend-so-much day.

Is that what thanksgiving is truly about? Is it just a day? If so, Canada already celebrated their day last month and it’s done for the year. But in the United States, we’ve got twenty-four days to fret until our day arrives. It sounds silly to think of thanksgiving as just a day, but isn’t that how we treat the word?

Thanksgiving is a state of mind from which our thoughts and words flow. Sure there will be things for which we are not grateful, but that doesn’t mean we negate acknowledging those things for which we do give thanks.

I’m grateful that November reminds me of a holiday that 365 days of the year, I should give thanks.

“Thanksgiving was never meant to be shut up in a single day.” — Robert Caspar Lintner