Thanksgiving...today, tomorrow, every day!

Thanksgiving, for many, starts days before the actual day.  There are people to invite, houses to clean, tables to set and food to start making.  It's a big deal.  Then, when the day finally arrives, there are parades to watch and children to get ready.  Everyone gathers at the designated house at the designated time to begin the art of eating way too much food and then lounging around while playing games, watching football or discussing strategies for Black Friday shopping.  *Notice I didn't add all of the family DRAMA that so often tags along*

That routine is now a part of American culture.  For those not celebrating in this manner - well, it's almost un-American!  Or is it?

I've seen many posts and heard many comments over the past week or so about 'changes in Thanksgiving.'  I'm sure you've seen them as well, or perhaps even muttered them yourself.

"I can't believe they are opening the store.  Thanksgiving is a time for families."

"You have to work?  You should just take off and be with your family."

"I can't believe you aren't going over there!  Who wouldn't want to be with their family on Thanksgiving?"

And many more along those lines.  

Here's my 2 cents worth:  

My father worked for the airlines while I was growing up.  He ALWAYS worked the holidays.  Our family time was the next day off.  I've been a military wife.  Thanksgiving was a month early one year - and combined with Christmas - to get it in before a deployment.  Thanksgiving has been spent alone, just because the kids were elsewhere and that's what it was that year.

There are MANY that work the holidays and we EXPECT them to:  gas station attendants, waitresses, cooks, pilots, firemen, police, doctors, grocery store cashiers, and oh...the service men and women that put their life on the line to protect our sometimes extremely selfish butts.

Family isn't the same for everyone.  Some would love to be with family, but their family is 1/2 a world away.  Some have no family.  Some family is simply toxic!

Now, I'm not saying that Thanksgiving shouldn't be a time of gathering with family and friends.  If you have that opportunity, by all means, GO FOR IT!  However, 'Thanksgiving' can also be May 1st, the second Tuesday of every month, or every single night that you have your loved ones near by.  Don't lock a day of giving enormous thanks to one little day of the year!