November Thankfulness
November is always a busy month for me. I have a ton of birthdays (nephews, sister, dad, husband, and niece) and of course Thanksgiving. With Thanksgiving comes Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday. It would be really easy to be overwhelmed by the month of November but I always look forward to it. It just might be my favorite month; as a result I always equate it to being thankful. This could just be because of Thanksgiving or the beginning of the holiday season but I chose to embrace it. Thanksgiving is similar to Columbus Day, as it brings an uncomfortable feeling of unease and possibly guilt as people become more aware and acknowledge the real truth of Thanksgiving. I’m not sure I’m ready to give up Thanksgiving but I acknowledge and appreciate those that have and do. Thanksgiving, for me at least, has never really been about the celebration of pilgrims and Indians coming together to celebrate the harvest and working together. It has been more about celebrating family, the year and all the things we have to be thankful for especially when it’s been a rough year like the past couple of years. This year I decided I wanted to celebrate what I am thankful for and what I can attempt to do for those that don’t have quite as much to be thankful for and I came up with the idea of November Thankfulness. I’m not sure that I’m truly ready for it but it’s probably better to start with what I have than give up altogether. Also, I happen to know I never feel ready for anything. Just dive in, hope for the best, and adapt as you have to.
First, let’s start by going over the history of Thanksgiving and why some people are choosing to no longer celebrate it. It is recognized that the first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 with the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag Indians. When the remaining colonists came to shore after surviving the harsh winter they were greeted with a harsh unforgiving and unfamiliar land. They were also surprisingly greeted by people who already new English. They were introduced to the Wampanoag tribe who then taught them how to survive on the land. When Governor Bardford found their first harvest of corn successful they decided to throw a celebration which is now known as the first Thanksgiving. The next 50 years was the essentially the only period of peace between the two people. During the civil war President Lincoln made it a national holiday hoping it would help heal the nation. Many people have since then realized that the way the colonists and Indian history is portrayed in our history books is sugarcoated at best, and fictionalized at worst. Native Americans and European settlers have had and continue to have a long and tragic history that lead to the death of many. In 1970 protesters gathered for the first time to commemorate a National Day of Mourning. Like Columbus Day, the protesters believe that people are celebrating the murderous history and continued suffering of Native Americans. People all over have begun and continue to celebrate and acknowledge National Day of Mourning to this day.
With all of that said, what is November Thankfulness or what do I hope it to be? My hope is that November Thankfulness will be a way to honor the tribes that saw a group of people suffering and did what they could to help. My hope is that it will be a way to share what we are thankful for by helping others that may not have that same experience. We know that Native Americans have been and continue to be treated terribly. I know that it will never be enough, that history cannot to be changed, but I hope these small acts of being thankful and finding a way to help others will honor those throughout history who were treated less than. My goal for November Thankfulness is to find reputable organizations that are looking for and/or are accepting and requesting donations of a non-monetary kind. I understand that monetary donations are important but sometimes people don’t have a lot of money and still want to find a way to help. My hope, my goal is to find a way to bridge that gap. Some of these organizations may be large international organizations and others might be small local (to me) organizations. If a local organization really appeals to you I highly recommend that you look to see if you can find something similar closer to you. Otherwise, I’m pretty confident that they will be more than happy to accept your donations regardless of your location. I would love to hear what some of your favorite non-profits, charities and other organizations are and your favorite way to support yourself, your community and your world.
During the month of November I will have a new calendar event each day under November Thankfulness. Each event will have a different organization highlighted. I will also post this information to the private Facebook group Path of the Turtle – Making Positive Impacts. I hope you will follow me for the inaugural year of November Thankfulness. I hope you find a new organization to support, find inspiration and find a new way to help others in your life. If you think I have missed an important organization please email me at Catherine@calmmomma.com and I will be sure to look into them and hopefully add them to next year’s list.
Remember, I am thankful for you. Stay positive and share positivity. Much Love
Additional Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Day_of_Mourning_(United_States_protest)