Family and holiday | Clips Morning Ag
The traditional turkey dinner will cost 20 percent more this year
Even as Thanksgiving approaches, it’s easy to have a pessimistic view of the current state of the world. If you’re feeding a group of 10, a traditional turkey dinner will cost 20 percent more this year, according to a survey by the American Farm Bureau Federation. (photo from file)
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Even as Thanksgiving approaches, it’s easy to have a pessimistic view of the current state of the world. If you’re feeding a group of 10, a traditional turkey dinner will cost 20 percent more this year, according to a survey by the American Farm Bureau Federation.
To be fair, wages are growing, but at a much slower rate, so while the survey results are real, 20 percent is a bit of an exaggeration. However, that pinch in your pocket is real, and it’s easy to let it ruin your Thanksgiving.
Our tendency toward self-centeredness is partly to blame. We know exactly what rung on the ladder we’re on, and it’s very easy to look up and see everyone a rung or two up and think we’re at the bottom. Our aspirations for tomorrow can easily lead to resentment today if we spend too much time looking up. We avoid looking down, not out of a sense of superiority, but out of fear.
I’m afraid our footing isn’t strong enough to keep from slipping off the step. Our only assets are tangible. Don’t worry, our value is based on climbing. These are universal causes of anxiety and worry, even if they are only real in our minds.
Just as our worth is not determined by our bank account, the quality of a meal is not determined by its cost. While bookkeeping can make things simple and tidy, it’s a bad approach to limit your life to a spreadsheet or retirement account balance, especially this year.
Thanksgiving is the perfect time to reflect on how much we take gratitude for granted and how skewed our perspective can become. A day set aside for family and celebration is certainly a reason to be thankful, but it’s worth recognizing that there is value in acknowledging the obvious and the immediate, rather than waiting for a special, unexpected stroke of luck to express gratitude.
Shouldn’t we celebrate the fact that we are alive now? Isn’t that the logical place to start counting blessings? While not everyone has the opportunity to appreciate the laughter of cousins playing while the adults cook, or to have those intimate conversations around the table after the meal is finished, the fact that we’re here at all , characteristic.
The funny thing about recognizing the incredibly simple aspects of life is that it can change your outlook. After a week or two, no one will remember whether the turkey was dry or the mashed potatoes were a little lumpy, who brought which pie, and even how much it cost.
At least that’s the hope. It’s quite possible that a miser or two will find their way across a few dinner tables, bringing with them harsh assessments of the world and wanting to talk about sordid topics like politics. Being grateful for life does not mean that we are free from problems.
However, we can choose how we approach these challenges. Thanksgiving is a good time to focus on all the things, big and small, that we are thankful for. It should also serve as a reminder to take stock of our gratitude throughout the year. If you start with the simple fact that you are grateful to be alive, you can probably keep counting your blessings until the next holiday in your family.
Insight is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm organization, whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.
-Greg Doering, Kansas Farm Bureau
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