Thanksgiving is a humble holiday; a truly holy-day. It does not need lights-solid nor strobing nor twinkling .  It doesn't demand every house and apratment in town decorate weeks in advance for its coming. It doesn't expect fireworks or champagne toasts or carved pumpkins.  It chuckles at the absurdity of green beer and colored eggs.

Thanksgiving is a humble holiday.It is secure enough in its purpose that it is not threatened by the glitz that has tried to push it out of the way for a month of black Fridays.  It is confident enough in both the simplicity and clarity of its message that it doesn't need greeting cards or sentimental Hallmark movies that try to explain its 'true meaning'.  It doesn'r expect radio stations to shut down their normal playlists for a month each year to play Thanksgiving music.  Thanksgiving neither desires nor enjoys the  limelight.

Perhaps it is because of this humilty that there have been no attempts to steal it or stop it.  Perhaps that's why The Grinch, Bergermeister-Meisterberger, and the American Humanist Association have left it alone. With all the silent confidence of the wholesome, all-American girl next door, it does not feel a need to gift wrap itself in superficial flash and attention seeking gimmicks.  Thanksgiving is a humble holiday.

In fact, its very purpose is humilty.  All it asks is for us to model its humility as we focus not on our own goals, accomplishments, agendas - in short our SELVES - and be grateful ,instead, to the One who has blessed us with the humble things of this life: food, family, friends, faith, another year of life itself.  

Thank you, Thanksgiving, for reminding us that amid the lights and glitter and one-day-only-sales, there is much to appreciate in the humble, quiet, simple things in life.