November 20, 2025
I usually open my eyes and get out of bed. And honestly, I think that deserves more credit than it gets. Thanksgiving morning has an energy all its own, not chaotic yet, not calm exactly, just… pre-chaos. The quiet before the parade. The inhale before the oven takes over your entire house and your entire identity.
But let’s be honest: the first thing most of us do Thanksgiving morning is not “set mindful intentions” or “connect with gratitude.” It’s more like:
Where am I? What day is it? Why am I awake? Is the turkey thawed? Did the kids already start fighting?
So today’s Question sends us right into the deep end of something deceptively simple.
Because that very first action, opening your eyes, stepping out of bed, trying to remember where the cranberry sauce is, sets the tone.
For me, Thanksgiving morning usually starts with one long breath. Not a dramatic one. Not a cinematic one. Just the kind you take before life starts tugging at your sleeve. Then I do the usual dad routine: tiptoe through the house hoping nobody heard me get up… only for someone to immediately hear me get up.
But Thanksgiving has this weird magic where even the smallest routines feel meaningful. The coffee tastes different. The morning light feels softer. Even the small annoyances feel like part of the tradition. Pancakes take longer. Cartoons are louder. Someone inevitably steals the remote. And I, for reasons unknown to science, always forget that the oven needs an entire geological era to preheat.
Still, this first moment, waking up, standing up, stepping into the day, holds the whole holiday. It’s your starting line. You get to choose the energy you bring into the hours ahead.
Maybe that’s why this question matters more than it looks.
It isn’t really about what you do.
It’s about what you carry into the day: gratitude, caffeine, and the fragile hope that the turkey cooks evenly.
And if all you manage to do tomorrow morning is open your eyes and get out of bed? That’s still a win. A quiet one. But a real one.
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💬 Your Turn
So… what is the first thing you do Thanksgiving morning?
Your weird little truth might be someone else’s comfort zone.
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