Over the years, my choice for my favorite Holiday has changed several times.
As a child, of course, Christmas was THE Holiday, above all others, because of the pile of gifts it promised. Thanksgiving was mostly a harbinger of the impending ecstatic fantasia of a team of elves whose entire lives were dedicated to satisfying my material wants. Bliss for a four-year old but the burden of trying to recreate (or repurchase) that childhood memory tends to leave me dissipated.
As I grew a little older, I found that the sanctioned naughtiness and demi-chaos of Halloween provided an outlet for my burgeoning rebellious tendencies. The opportunity to gently misbehave without fear of punishment and to explore some of the dark corners of my imagination was a giddy and liberating experience. Thanksgiving came to mean little more than it was time to put away the pumpkins and the scary movies.
As the fires of material want and disestablishmentarianism wane in my heart, I find that Thanksgiving has become my favorite Holiday. The opportunity to gather for a meal with family and close friends, to celebrate our blessings and to share my life with the people I love, is the greatest gift I desire. This isnt compromise on my part - its not an example of diminished expectations but a sea-change in my soul. Besides, eight or nine hours in the same room with my family and friends can be enough chaos to make Halloween look tame.
For me, Thanksgiving is also a time to remember those who cant be with us. Let us cherish those who brought us into this world and who have gone on to the next, often without sufficient thanks for all they did for us. Let us embrace those we love but are separated from by distance. The missing may not have a seat at the table but they will forever be in our hearts and the hope of a reunion with them someday is the spark that keeps the fire of our love for them burning.
To take a day from each year to dedicate to giving thanks, to God, to family, to friends, for the bounty I enjoy sits well with me. Its also a good time to remember that actions speak louder than words, that the best way to say thank you is to act to help those with less to be thankful for. What better way to give thanks than to stop talking and to do something to make the world a better place, to comfort the sorrowful, to teach a child, to inspire the downtrodden, to build a bridge
So, thank you all for being here today and for sharing your lives and love with me. Let us be thankful for the blessings we all enjoy, whatever they may be. In the words of Sam Pugh, let us pray to God:
Let it be so. Pass the sweet potatoes, please.
As a child, of course, Christmas was THE Holiday, above all others, because of the pile of gifts it promised. Thanksgiving was mostly a harbinger of the impending ecstatic fantasia of a team of elves whose entire lives were dedicated to satisfying my material wants. Bliss for a four-year old but the burden of trying to recreate (or repurchase) that childhood memory tends to leave me dissipated.
As I grew a little older, I found that the sanctioned naughtiness and demi-chaos of Halloween provided an outlet for my burgeoning rebellious tendencies. The opportunity to gently misbehave without fear of punishment and to explore some of the dark corners of my imagination was a giddy and liberating experience. Thanksgiving came to mean little more than it was time to put away the pumpkins and the scary movies.
As the fires of material want and disestablishmentarianism wane in my heart, I find that Thanksgiving has become my favorite Holiday. The opportunity to gather for a meal with family and close friends, to celebrate our blessings and to share my life with the people I love, is the greatest gift I desire. This isnt compromise on my part - its not an example of diminished expectations but a sea-change in my soul. Besides, eight or nine hours in the same room with my family and friends can be enough chaos to make Halloween look tame.
For me, Thanksgiving is also a time to remember those who cant be with us. Let us cherish those who brought us into this world and who have gone on to the next, often without sufficient thanks for all they did for us. Let us embrace those we love but are separated from by distance. The missing may not have a seat at the table but they will forever be in our hearts and the hope of a reunion with them someday is the spark that keeps the fire of our love for them burning.
To take a day from each year to dedicate to giving thanks, to God, to family, to friends, for the bounty I enjoy sits well with me. Its also a good time to remember that actions speak louder than words, that the best way to say thank you is to act to help those with less to be thankful for. What better way to give thanks than to stop talking and to do something to make the world a better place, to comfort the sorrowful, to teach a child, to inspire the downtrodden, to build a bridge
So, thank you all for being here today and for sharing your lives and love with me. Let us be thankful for the blessings we all enjoy, whatever they may be. In the words of Sam Pugh, let us pray to God:
help me to destroy my complacency;
bestir my compassion,
and be concerned enough to help;
By word and deed,
those who cry out for what we take for granted.
bestir my compassion,
and be concerned enough to help;
By word and deed,
those who cry out for what we take for granted.
Let it be so. Pass the sweet potatoes, please.
