Thanksgiving is really a holiday that allows us all, if only for

In the heartfelt words of Trish Regan, we are reminded of the true essence of gratitude: “Thanksgiving is really a holiday that allows us all, if only for a day, to stop what we’re doing and consider the wonderful people in our lives and the opportunities we have, and have had.” Though simple in form, this saying is profound in its meaning. It speaks to the ancient human need for pause, reflection, and remembrance—those sacred moments when the noise of the world is silenced, and the heart is opened to gratitude.

The origin of Thanksgiving lies in the gathering of peoples, first between Pilgrims and Native Americans, and later carried on as a tradition of family reunion across the United States. It was never only about feasting, though the table was always central. It was about giving thanks, not just for harvests of the field, but for the harvests of life—friendships, family, and the blessings of survival in a world often harsh and uncertain. Regan’s words recall this spirit: that even if for one day, we are invited to lay aside our striving and simply marvel at the people who give our lives meaning and the opportunities that have shaped our journey.

There is power in the command to stop. In our age, as in ages past, human beings are driven by work, ambition, and endless striving. Yet without pause, without reflection, life becomes a blur, its blessings unnoticed. The Psalmist once wrote, “Be still, and know.” Stillness is not idleness—it is the recognition of what already is, the reverent awareness of what has already been bestowed. To stop for a day, as Regan says, is to step outside the torrent of time and to taste eternity in gratitude.

Consider the story of Abraham Lincoln, who in the midst of the Civil War proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday. The nation was torn, brothers fought brothers, and the land was soaked in blood. Yet Lincoln urged the people to give thanks—not for the war, but for the blessings that still endured: the harvests of the fields, the progress of industry, and the providence that sustained the people despite their trials. This example shines as proof that gratitude is not reserved for easy times. It is in the hardest hours that we most need to remember the opportunities we have, and have had.

The wisdom of this quote lies also in its reminder that people matter above all else. For wealth may vanish, opportunities may pass, but the love of family, the loyalty of friends, the kindness of strangers—these are treasures beyond price. A feast without loved ones is an empty table; a life without gratitude for its companions is a barren road. The act of stopping to appreciate others binds us together in ways that no ambition, no career, no possession ever could.

From this truth, a lesson emerges for all generations: do not wait for Thanksgiving to give thanks. Make every day a small holiday of the heart. Look upon the faces around you with gratitude. Speak words of appreciation often, for unspoken gratitude is like seed never planted. Recall the opportunities of your past not with regret but with reverence, for each one has shaped the path that brought you to this day.

Practical actions follow as naturally as breath. Begin each morning with a word of thanks, not for what you seek, but for what you already have. At the end of each day, recall at least one person or one moment that made your journey lighter. On the day of Thanksgiving, make the pause sacred—turn your attention not only to the feast before you but to the hearts beside you, and let your gratitude be spoken aloud. In doing so, you transform one holiday into a lifelong practice of reverence.

Thus, Trish Regan’s words are not only a description of a holiday but a call to a way of life. To stop, to remember, to give thanks—these are the actions that make us fully human. Let this teaching endure: that gratitude is the soil of joy, and that in honoring both the people we love and the opportunities we have known, we taste the truest meaning of Thanksgiving.