Five Short Stories That Will Leave You Feeling #ThankfulGratefulBlessed this Thanksgiving

We live in a busy, hectic, loud, demanding, time-crunched kind of world. A world in which it can be difficult to find the time to eat, breathe, and sleep, much less sit down with a hot cuppa something to enjoy uninterrupted time focusing your heart and head on something that will boost your mood and foster an attitude of gratitude during the birth pangs of the busiest season of the year.

I get it.

I suffer from it, too.

I want to feel a certain sense of coziness when I think about hosting my family for the upcoming holidays.

I want to feel warmth in my heart while I plan menus & serve as sous chef for myself in prep for the marathon days of cooking ahead.

I want to feel fuzzy feelings while I cook & clean, while I think of ways to delight my friends & make memories with my family. 

I want to provide a Pinterest-worthy day to remember for my loved ones on a budget that makes Walmart seem expensive these days.

Sitting down to enjoy a book that will help me focus my attention on an attitude of gratitude while there is so much to be done seems like a pipe dream.

If you're stepping in that with me, here are Five Short Stories That Will Leave You Feeling #ThankfulGratefulBlessed This Thanksgiving.

1. An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving by Louisa May Alcott

Published in 1882 by beloved American author, Louisa May Alcott, An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving is a welcomed step back in time reminiscent of reading the homey feelings that Laura Ingalls Wilder delivered in the pages of her Little House series. Family. Food. Fellowship. You don't get more Thanksgiving-y than that.

2. The Thanksgiving Visitor by Truman Capote

First published in McCall's magazine in 1967, Truman Capote's The Thanksgiving Visitor was partly inspired by Capote's own childhood Thanksgiving Day experiences growing up in Alabama. If you long for a turkey day full of family, food, and a little character growth for dessert, plan to visit Buddy's house this Thanksgiving.

3. Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen by O. Henry

A thought-provoking short story, Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen (1907) will make you pause to consider the reasons behind the things we do, the importance we place on our traditions with a bit of side-eye to what has become an overindulgence on Thanksgiving.

4. Why He Carried the Turkey by James Baldwin

James Baldwin's Why He Carried the Turkey is a super-short story (as in you can read it in less than 5 minutes) that contains an important lesson in humility and service to others with the expectation of receiving absolutely nothing in return. Sweet. Simple. Short. Unforgettable.

5. Aunt Susanna's Thanksgiving Dinner by L. M. Montgomery

L. M. Montgomery's 1907 short story Aunt Susanna's Thanksgiving Dinner is a short, funny, holiday story perfect for literally anyone. Are you from a big family with lots of siblings? You will relate.  Do you long to be patient with your relatives during family gatherings this Thanksgiving? You will relate. Have you ever suffered a meal-prep mishap? You will relate. If you have a "nefarious bent for music and literature," you're going to love this sweet holiday short story by the beloved author of the Anne of Green Gables series.

Your Turn

Which titles have you read left you feeling #ThankfulGratefulBlessed? Share your favorites in the comments.