Thanksgiving Guests
Thanksgiving is tomorrow. I will be with my dad and family, but not my partner. He is sick with a very bad cold and will, unfortunately, not be with me. I feel sad, but I also understand that he needs his rest, and doesn’t want to get anyone else sick. So, the table tomorrow will be filled with those I love, but others I love will not be there. An experience of dueling emotions.
However, I am hoping that these 6 others will be at the gathering tomorrow, at all of our homes:
Gratitude and Generosity - I truly hope that as we gather with our family and friends, there is room enough for being grateful and generous. For me, the two go hand in hand. When I am grateful, I am also generous. I will be very grateful for my family and time with my father. I don’t know where my dad will be in a year (he is 85 and having some memory loss) and my family as well. The Thanksgiving moments will be ripe for gratitude and generosity. Nothing is guaranteed beyond the present moment.
Listening - I will be listening for the deep moments of connection with others. I will listen for their hopes and dreams, as well as their fears and struggles. I will listen to it all and appreciate who they are, in their total person. That’s all I can do in those moments. Listen without judgment. Listen with love.
Peace - I will invite peace into my day tomorrow too. I wish for peace for all of us, and especially those who are finding life difficult at this time - those who are sick, alone, have no job, have no home or family, those who long for love and companionship, those who need a meal. I will pray for peace, less stress, and reconciliation for all who are in need of these.
Memories - the day is certainly about memories! The traditions. The people we celebrate with. The people who are no longer with us that have made us who we are on this day. The people who challenged us and made us stronger and more vibrant. I remember all my family and friends. I remember the food we would eat, the pies we ate, the games we watched, and the love that was shared. I also remember when our dog got locked out on our enclosed front porch and ate all of our pies on Thanksgiving morning!
Food that nourishes the soul - beyond the turkey and all the fixins’, I will feast on the moments that bring such nourishment to my very deep spirit. I will cherish moments with my dad, with my great nieces and nephews who remind me of childlike excitement and innocence, my nieces and nephews who are a part of my soul family, my sisters-in-law who are such presence of love and family, and my brothers who remind me of where I came from and where I belong, in good times and bad. I will be nourished by my family in ways that will feed me better than any pie or sweet potato every could.
Love - I will put on glasses tomorrow to see with eyes of love. I will remember the love that waits at home for me because he is not feeling well. I will see my father with the eyes of love that he has given to me, a love that is unconditional, God-like almost. Instead of seeing Thanksgiving through the eyes of panic, worry and doubt, wouldn’t Thanksgiving be great if we saw all of it, the entire day and experience, through the eyes of love? What might that look and feel like?? I’m thinking it will be pretty awesome.
I hope and pray that your Thanksgiving and my Thanksgiving will be a table filled with all of the people and food you love, and these 6 guests as well. These guests are invited by you and me and will sit very comfortably at the table and throughout the entire day. From beginning to end, may this Thanksgiving be a day deepened by all of these guests. My guess is that it will be a day you and I will never forget.
