Harvest 2.0

Our Sisters and Brothers of America (to quote Swami Vivekanand), will be celebrating Thanksgiving. It’s a festival to celebrate harvest and to thank all, human or otherwise, for their contribution in all that we have.

But today, the plough and spades have been replaced with keyboards and mice, and so, the question arises as to whether a ‘harvest festival’ is still relevant in this day and age, or is it just an excuse for merriment? (not that there is anything wrong with that!)

Harvest has many definitions, the most recognised of which is, to gather crop. Our crop today is in a different form, our harvest is now at the end of a fiscal year and the yield is no longer plants but instead in pre-tax profits.

Being Grateful

The modern harvest is worthy of rejoice, but like our forefathers, we should pay homage to the efforts of the collective. To all those involved, directly or indirectly, because we could not have created THIS alone (substitute ‘this’ with whatever you define as yield), so, it’s only right to be thankful, but how?

As a child I was taught that a 'verb' is a 'doing word’, a word used to describe an action. So, given that the word 'Thanks' has been compounded with the verb, 'giving’, it follows that in order to show gratitude, there needs to be an action - of giving.

What can I give?

We’re all different, be that economically, culturally and of course physically, so finding something common that everyone can give, will be the only way for Thanksgiving to become a universal concept.

Money is what is commonly associated with giving, but this resource is limited to but a few. Besides, it’s always better to receive something that’s made, be it your child’s first painting, your Grandma’s pumpkin pie, or a treehouse your Dad made one summer, each hold more personal value in comparison to a Picasso, a three Michelin star meal or a house you may purchase - Whilst money can buy material, it does not substitute sentiment.

So, why not give something you’ve created, something you have thought about and something that has taken time and effort, given not out of pity or charity, but instead, a deep rooted feeling of gratitude.

Whilst we may not be able to payback all we have, we can definitely pay it forward.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I dedicate this to all those who inspire me and for whom I remain forever indebted.