Warm Thanksgiving wishes from St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce President Dirk Webb, reminding us all that during this special time of the year, we should try to reflect on the blessings that enrich our lives, and the countless reasons to be thankful.
Holidays come and go. Not only do we spend time with the people we are closest to, but we use the various holidays to mark the passing of time.
So often we look across the table at a relative or friend and begin the conversation with, “I remember one Thanksgiving…” or “Do you remember that Christmas when we…”
It is most appropriate to mark time at a Holiday such as Thanksgiving. As we begin to look at winding our year down we are faced with what we have accomplished, the milestones we have passed and, for we who are older, how much time we have to left to affect our world both personally and professionally.
Thanksgiving is notable for measuring that short list I mentioned above with an attitude of appreciation. Christmas is known for its sense of magic, color and tangible expressions of our love. New Year’s provides us with the opportunity to set things right again and make our personal vows that those measurables will be immensely improved in the next year.
So, let’s stop and, in honor of Thanksgiving, set our minds and hearts inward:
- Let’s be thankful for what we already have, who we have, and the gracious blessings we’ve experienced this year.
- Let’s gather just a little closer, tune out the distractions and find the good in our world.
- Let’s turn our hearts upward in a silent moment of gratitude to the One who loves us even when we struggle to be lovable.
As always, I have a list of wishes for you this Holiday weekend:
- May you find a few hours to share a parade, a Thanksgiving dinner or a movie with people you love.
- May you lose the wishbone wish to a three-year-old who wishes to be a dinosaur.
- May you catch the winning pass in the family touch football game in the back yard and may your celebration dance be memorable.
- May you have another piece of pumpkin pie with an extra dollop of whipped cream and maybe some ice cream on top (you knew I’d find a way to include ice cream in this.)
- May the smells of turkey, ham or your family’s traditional dishes, take you back to a special memory of dear loved ones who once filled chairs at your table.
- May you realize with a heartfelt prayer that there are those living desperate lives around the world who are hoping for a brighter tomorrow.
- May God grant you blessings beyond your wildest imagination that you may share with others as we all work to bring peace to our world.
On behalf of Heather, Indhiana, Abigail and our entire St. Cloud Chamber family, we wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving.
