Since I was a child, Thanksgiving has always been an opportunity for my family and extended family to come together as one body to celebrate all that we have been blessed with. Living in a corporate-driven world, people can often get caught up in the latest trends or gadgets. At Thanksgiving however, my family makes an effort to look beyond those cultural devices to see what it is that we have to be grateful for.
Coming from an immigrant family, my parents had a rough start here in Canada, with only a few dollars in their pockets. My father worked two jobs for much of my childhood, while my mother worked at a low-income job herself. The two of them managed to balance taking care of my two brothers and myself, while working and fulfilling household responsibilities. Things were not easy for my parents, but they still managed to provide us with everything we needed.
Seeing how far my family has come and all that my parents have provided me with gives me something to be truly grateful for during Thanksgiving.
Like many others, we give thanks for the bountiful meal set before us, for the roof over our heads and for the unconditional love that we share for each other. Being a Catholic family, we also recognize that it is the grace of the Lord that has made us so fortunate in our lives.
I like to believe that my family has come so far because of the strength that the Lord has given my parents when times are difficult. What many people often lose sight of during Thanksgiving and other holidays is that we have all we need because of our divine Creator.
While some people may be thankful for their new BlackBerry or the ‘A’ they earned on a test, I am thankful for love and compassion of God. I am forever grateful for being born into a family that loves me and for having the opportunity to grow up in a country of possibilities. There are so many people in this world who are less fortunate than myself. I feel truly blessed for whatever it is that I have.
So this Thanksgiving, when you sit down for a meal with your family and friends, what will you be thankful for? I know what I’ll be grateful for; my God, my family, my friends and the love that they have all showered me with.
(Lewis, 18, is a journalism student at Carleton University in Ottawa.)
Celebrating God’s blessings on Thanksgiving Day
By Brunelle Lewis, Youth Speak News
Canadians have been celebrating the feast of Thanksgiving in their homes since the time of our forefathers, but so much has changed since then that we are often left wondering what it is we have to be thankful for.
The early Canadians celebrated a safe journey looking for the Northwest Passage, but what about us? There are no long trudging trips for us to make, and most of us don’t cultivate or hunt the food we eat. So what then do we have to be thankful for when everything we have is at our disposal and we live in a society that allows us to make a $40,000 income while sitting at home in our pyjamas?
The early Canadians celebrated a safe journey looking for the Northwest Passage, but what about us? There are no long trudging trips for us to make, and most of us don’t cultivate or hunt the food we eat. So what then do we have to be thankful for when everything we have is at our disposal and we live in a society that allows us to make a $40,000 income while sitting at home in our pyjamas?
Please support The Catholic Register
Unlike many media companies, The Catholic Register has never charged readers for access to the news and information on our website. We want to keep our award-winning journalism as widely available as possible. But we need your help.
For more than 125 years, The Register has been a trusted source of faith-based journalism. By making even a small donation you help ensure our future as an important voice in the Catholic Church. If you support the mission of Catholic journalism, please donate today. Thank you.
DONATE