Thanksgiving for us, as it is for many, is a day of gathering, cooking, eating, thanking, and just being. If you’re alone, reach out. You’ll be amazed at the open arms that will embrace you. Often we expect others to realize what we need, but we are limited beings, that's why we have innate desires to connect, partner, and collaborate and we must reach out to let others know what we need.. Keep that in mind this Thanksgiving and practice compassion with your dysfunctional family and friends... we are all better people with the support and love of others!

Don’t forget your local service organizations that help people less fortunate than you. You can volunteer your time or donate food… click here to donate to the Napa Valley Food Bank. They will use the money for food cards that will be exchanged for turkeys.

Look for your local Troop Support organizations… there are lots of soldiers out there that don’t have close family connections and are very alone in foreign places under dire circumstances serving their country. It's easy to buy a few extra toiletries and food items when we're shopping for ourselves.
Here’s a good one: Operation With Love From Home

And lastly, please remember to LAUGH, LOVE, SHARE, OPEN UP, AND LIVE!

A brief Thanksgiving history courtesy of Wikipedia:

Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival celebrated primarily in Canada and the United States. Traditionally, it is a time to give thanks for the harvest and express gratitude in general. While perhaps religious in origin, Thanksgiving is now primarily identified as a secular holiday.

The date and location of the first Thanksgiving celebration is a topic of modest contention. The traditional "first Thanksgiving" is the celebration that occurred at the site of Plymouth Plantation, in 1621. The Plymouth celebration occurred early in the history of what would become one of the original thirteen colonies that became the United States.

The celebration became an important part of the American myth by the 1800s. This Thanksgiving, modeled after celebrations that were commonplace in contemporary Europe, is generally regarded as America's first. Elementary school teacher Robyn Gioia has argued that the earliest attested "thanksgiving" celebration in what is now the United States was celebrated by the Spanish on September 8, 1565 in what is now Saint Augustine, Florida.

Today, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. Thanksgiving dinner is held on this day, usually as a gathering of family members and friends.