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Giving Thanks Should be Year Round

November 28th, 2022 by Kenneth Abrahams

November is almost in the books; Thanksgiving has passed, and we now rush headlong into the holiday season. With November giving way to December, for many people the month-long thankfulness campaigns will end. For those that are unfamiliar with the Thankfulness campaigns, they are when people post on social media every day in November, something or someone they are thankful for. It is a nice thought, but I am not sure why it gets jammed into one month and why it needs to be broadcast to the world. Is it more about thanking individuals or is it really to show the world that those posting are good caring people? Why are we saving this for one month out of the year? Should this not be a regular part of our lives?

There is a woman that I went to college with, who is very active on social media. Several years ago, she needed a heart transplant simply to stay alive. Not that I am on social media a lot but when I am, I tend to look at her posts. She is grateful/thankful daily, for the people and things that she still has in her life. Her posts are simple, sometimes of the things that she has baked that day or noting a milestone in her life. She is a former baking and pastry instructor at Johnson and Wales. On occasion, her posts talk about transplants and the impact they have on so many lives. They are simple but impactful.

Ric Elias is another one that makes me stop and reflect on the blessings that I have been given. He was in the front row on the plane that landed in the Hudson River. He does a short but impactful TED Talk where he talks about how that day changed his life and how grateful he is for all that he has. One thing about his presentation, that resonated with me, is he talks about wishing that he hadn’t wasted time on things that didn’t matter with people that do matter. https://www.ted.com/talks/ric_elias_3_things_i_learned_while_my_plane_crashed

So many, myself included, are remiss at letting others know how we feel about them. Why is it easier to take 30 days each year and let them, and the world, know how we feel? Perhaps we should do a campaign a month. Isn’t a whole year of thankfulness better than 1 month? Below is my year of thankfulness, plus.

January

Somehow the earth made yet another trip around the sun, and I am thankful for it. The new year marks a time when we all have a fresh slate. A time to start over and perhaps do things better. For FUN Enterprises, Inc. January is a time to clean up and prep for what lies ahead, things are a tad less crazy and for that I give thanks.

February

Valentine’s Day is a bit too easy of a target, but I am thankful for so many people in my life that I truly love. Days are starting to get longer, and the end of Winter is in sight. Black History Month is another reason to give thanks. Yes, I realize that putting a group of people in one month and teaching about said group out of chronological order makes no sense, but I learn new things every February.

March

The days are getting even longer and brighter as Spring is trying to make its presence known here in New England. It is Women’s History Month, and I am grateful and thankful for all the strong, intelligent, and caring women that I have had in both my personal and professional lives. Spring of 2023 will also mark the arrival of our first Grandchild, for which I feel very blessed and thankful.

April

Business wise, we are very busy with Spring Weeks and Weekends. There is a buzz of wonderful energy on college campuses. In New England, the flowers are blooming, there are leaves on the trees, and the grass is coming out of its brown winter hibernation. Probably shouldn’t throw this in, but it is also my birthday month. Welcome back baseball.

May

Spring in many places has finally fully sprung. College Commencements are in full swing as we say goodbye to some of the students we have worked with for years. It is bittersweet, but I am thankful that I have gotten to know them. It is gratifying to see when their time as an involved student or student leader has made an impact on their lives, in so many ways.

June

Finally, the days are long and filled with bright sunshine. Farms around us are selling fresh produce again. High School graduations are in full swing as are college orientations. Thankful that we get to participate in both of those signature events for several of our clients.

July

At FUN, it is a bit slower so we can reset and take a breath. Believe it or not I am thankful for a bit of down time. It is also the time for BBQ’s and lazy summer nights.

August

We ramp back up as Welcome Weeks and Orientations fill our schedule. It is nice to be busy again and hit the road to reconnect with clients. Between our programs and our speakers, we have the pleasure of interreacting with so many incoming first year students and their families. It is hard to say goodbye to summer, but excited at the return of football.

September

When I was younger, I was thankful for those mornings and evenings with a fall nip in the air, but now it just means extra layers of clothes. Schools are fully open, and for some parents it is a return to a sense of normalcy, the comfort of a more set schedule. Our weekends are full of homecoming and family weekend celebrations.

October

Football and the academic year are in full swing. Days are shorter and colder while nights are longer and colder. This also means that Mother Nature will provide us with an incredible array of colors and some amazing foliage.

November

For me, it is conference season and the opportunity to reconnect with clients and colleagues from all over the country. It helps invigorate and re-energize me. Yes, I am thankful that I get to see some longtime friends and meet new ones as well. Aruba is also on the docket in November, along with my wedding anniversary, my wife’s birthday, and of course Thanksgiving. So many things to be thankful for and to celebrate.

December

The holiday season. A time when we see incredible kindness and generosity from people. It is a special time when we mark the end of another year.

Whether you save it for November, do it on a monthly or daily basis, it is always a good idea to let those that are important to you know that. Going back to Ric Elias sitting on that plane as it is about to go into the Hudson, he talks about the people that he wished he had made amends with. This is something that I, too, am guilty of. There are people in my life that I have let slip away, people that I have stopped emailing and stopped calling with the excuse that I am just too busy. Truth is, we all make time for what is important. If you take nothing else away from this piece, take away a few things that we all learned from COVID, but may have forgotten:

Life is short.

It can change in an instant.

Make sure that you let the people around you know that you care.

Be present, it matters.

About the Author

Ken Abrahams has been reluctantly writing blogs for years but since the start of COVID has written one almost every week. For more of his literary meanderings check out some of his other blogs at https://funent.com/blog.

To find out more about the company go to our website www.funent.com you can also go to this link to sign up for our newsletter which comes out about 6 times a year    https://funent.com/subscribe-to-the-funny-pages/.  Our newsletter will tell you more about the company and the products and services we offer as well as some games, things to do, and the occasional cooking tip.