Thanksgiving: Here We Are As In Olden Days by Marc LeVine

“When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself.” - Tecumseh

Creating soon-to-be-dated writings tied to annual holidays is rarely a good idea, except to commemorate what they represent and appreciate those who were the inspirations for them.

Writing about Thanksgiving increases the likelihood that interest in such a post will wane – immediately - after everyone finishes their traditional, late-night Thanksgiving sandwiches, falling asleep on their couches dreaming only of Black Friday sales. I am going to break from writer's tradition and use this day to talk about a very important holiday-related soft skill – THANKFULNESS.

We tend to be holiday obedient (not just holiday observant) in our lives.?We pretend to be reflective and determined on New Year’s Day, unbiased on MLK Day, patriotic on President’s Day and even Irish on St. Patty’s Day. Truth is – collectively – few or none of these identities hold true for us all year. We are merely trying to live up to the traditional expectations for and the commercial hype attached to each holiday season. They come with a set of instructions that tell us who we must be, how we must dress, what we must eat and what rituals we must perform to celebrate them properly. Pilgrims and Santas need not apply.

The day after each holiday, we throw off festive masks and return true to form.?It is a lot of phony baloney from a large percentage of the population, but year after year we subscribe to this sugar high because it has always been that way. ?“Here we are as in olden days," as the familiar Christmas song reminds. Great aspirational sentiment that has long since been hijacked by the same kind of corny and superficial Currier and Ives “window dressing,” we wrap ourselves in year after year after year. How does such a ruse make us better people, if we can’t live up to the ideals the people illustrated by Currier and Ives supposedly represented, especially during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Hanukkah? We need to look much deeper into the "reasons for (each) season" and incorporate their valuable lessons into our daily lives. Being THANKFUL is one of those key values.

The point is that regardless of who we really are during and after the holidays, we remain citizens of the world and are always responsible and accountable to others and to ourselves.?We need to accept this important role with a great sense of pride and spiritualism. We can help make the world a better place and be THANKFUL for the tools we have been given to do so - love, faith, charity and brotherhood. NOT hate, bias, selfishness and greed!

From life we get what we get, and we cannot avoid those emotions that come with each good or bad outcome.?Our emotions can never betray us.?We may not show or share them openly, but we certainly feel them accordingly. ?Joy, unhappiness, euphoria, pain, love, caring. They are all part of a lengthier list of emotions, which characterize our moods and outlooks day by day, sometimes even minute by minute. ?They come to us as they will but are fleeting moments.?Some emotions, indeed, should be encouraged to stay and take root within us such as love, caring and especially THANKFULNESS.

What should we be thankful for??We have been given life.?What gift is greater? ?Being alive gives each of us a fighting chance to appreciate another day during our time on earth. Many days are good ones, and some are plain uneventful. ?Bad times often come our way too and we must be thankful even for those. Sound odd? Not really. It depends how we view the world.?When we win, we celebrate our victories and when we lose, we learn some new and important lessons about life. ?As a cancer survivor, I learned to look at life through a different lens.?A lens of appreciation and THANKFULNESS.?Every day is a precious gift to be unwrapped and I cherish the privilege to live on the surface of the earth rather than return to dust below it.?I get to continue experiencing, feeling, and contributing. ?These are things the already departed are no longer able to.

Life is far from perfect, and it is largely unpredictable.?We must cherish every moment we are blessed with. ?Spend more quality time with family and friends. Do the things you want to do. Make time for all these special things because they can be taken away from us in a heartbeat.

Most importantly, THANKFULNESS DOES have a price.?It requires that we strive to be better people – caring and sincere.?If we aren’t who will be??Those who think the world owes them something are never thankful. They don’t hope, they expect. They do not give and receive; they take and deprive the most deserving among us. They have no faith in others, they only mistrust them. There are much better ways to live a good life. Be THANKFUL for all you have received and all you have been allowed to experience and become.??And, DO for others! Give them reasons to be THANKFUL, too.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

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The Author

Listen to Marc's latest interview on The AutomationBlog Podcast with Shawn Tierney.

Marc LeVine?is a graduate of Syracuse (NY) University with a degree in Industrial Psychology, Marc is currently Talent Acquisitions and Learning and Development Lead at Thermo Systems. He is the recipient of the Excellence in Talent Acquisitions Award from HR Awards in 2021. His prior employment includes senior Human Resources and Staffing Industry management roles with Edgewood Properties in Piscataway, NJ, Brickforce Staffing in Edison, NJ, InfoPro Inc. in Woodbridge NJ and Plainsboro, NJ and Harvard Industries in Farmingdale, NJ, a former Fortune 500 company. He also served as Director of Human Resources for New Jersey Press, the parent company of the Asbury Park Press, Home News and Tribune and WKXW-NJ101.5. Earlier in his career, Marc served as Director of Career Services and Placement at Union Technical Institute in Eatontown and Neptune, NJ. In addition, Marc owned and operated Integrity Consulting Associates, a New Jersey based Human Resources and Social Media Marketing firm for 11 years. Marc also served as Council President in his hometown of Freehold Borough, NJ