Thanksgiving Week

Gratitude – American author, Melody Beattie, once said: “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. Turning what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. Gratitude can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

2025 – A Challenge For Many

Whether 2025 is a harder year than previous years depends on individual experience. However, sources from public surveys to personal accounts suggest a combination of economic and political anxieties, ongoing pandemic effects, a difficult job market, and widespread personal struggles make 2025 a challenging year. For those facing such challenge, we hope that this Thanksgiving season and beyond bring better times.

Celebrations

Every Thanksgiving Alaskans gather around the table, giving thanks for family, friends, and the good food we’re about to eat. What about the rest of the year? Starting a daily practice of gratitude may help each of us recognize the positive in our lives instead of focusing on the negative. Being thankful and grateful for all the good things we have can actually make us happier. Have you ever wondered how to make your Thanksgiving a bit more meaningful?

Making Thanksgiving Even More Meaningful

Good food and fun gatherings are fantastic ways to spend the day. At the same time, some may wish for time to reflect, feel, and celebrate fellowship and abundance. Below is are just a few ideas for consideration:

• Take a page from the first Thanksgiving and invite someone who has helped you and you are grateful for, over for a meal;
• Invite someone to Thanksgiving dinner (or any meal) you might not know very well, but who could use a hand up;
• Fast the day before Thanksgiving, making the feast more significant;
• Donate money and food items to local food banks helping others experience Thanksgiving;
• Create a Thanksgiving Tree – whether from construction paper or branches in a pot – to which paper leaves are added by friends and family members after listing what that person is particularly thankful for this year;
• Create a family scroll or book for your gathering and ask that everyone list the things they are grateful for to see how long your list grows;
• Take turns around the table, stating why you are grateful for each person there.

We don’t suggest that anyone follow each of these suggestions. Instead, choose one or create your own variation to enjoy during your Thanksgiving celebration.

Practicing Gratitude – We Are Thankful

This year – as the Johnson Law staff fills their shopping bags with the ingredients we’ve made part of our celebrations – we plan to buy two and donate half to local food drives. We’ve also been sharing individual reflections for that which we are most thankful throughout the office. Over the next week, we will share our 2025 thoughts of thankfulness with you. We hope these thoughts bring a smile to your face and a reminder there is ALWAYS reason to be thankful. 

Johnson Law is grateful for our clients and for each other. We wish you and yours a peaceful and abundant Thanksgiving.

Johnson Law has been helping injured Alaskans for 30 years. It’s who we are. And while we hope you never need us… We’re here if you do. ~ Doug Johnson

Sources: Melody Beattie; The Johnson Law Team