Hope your Day is Joyful!!
Thought someone might find this blessing as touching as I did, written by a favorite writer. She always witty, gritty, and real with a large dose of Jesus, challenging and stretching me. I am thankful for her voice that drives me to grow, be real and challenge my view of God….
A Pandemic Thanksgiving Blessing
May we double-check the calendar when we rise, confirming it is, indeed, Thursday.
May our grocery lists be short and our kitchen helpers cheerful.
May the turkey thaw speedily for the first time ever, for we literally cannot handle one more thing.
May we rejoice in this gluttonous holiday blissfully absent of all pressure to don constricting fabrics of any kind.
(May we find our way into a bra and out of the t-shirt we slept in, for it is probably not asking too much.)
May the potatoes be the right kind of lumpy and the dressing just crispy enough.
May we put forth the effort to make the cranberry chutney with the nuts and the oranges, pausing an extra moment to remember Grandma Betty, the yeasty scent of her house, the tin of fig Newtons ever-present in the cabinet above her stove.
May we appreciate the art of juxtaposing the “special dishes” and sweatpants.
(May we nap while someone else does the dishes.)
May we make phone calls that matter, savoring slow goodbyes.
May we remember the imprisoned, pleading for joy to somehow fall upon them, preferably through the surprising benevolence of the cafeteria supervisor.
May we remember the homeless, ever-ready to ditch protocol and cross the street on their behalf at a moment’s notice.
May we remember the lonely, baking an extra dessert as the Spirit transcribes their name across our consciousness.
May we bear the weight of cozying up and hunkering down on Indigenous land, honoring those who were here first by learning their names.
Above all, may we feel the weighty presence of Emmanuel, God with us, even now, especially in this.
Amen.
Shannon Martin
Thankful for YOU,
Elaine Stone 
Although Tanksgiving is out of my cultural tradition, I understand it’s big moment in the life of all the American families. I wish I could attend one day such celebration at some friends’ home to experience it all and get the full meaning of it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is a major holiday here. We gather with family and/or friends to honor the first Thanksgiving where the new settlers in American stopped and had a feast to thank God for his provisions. Of course, it is celebrated a bit differently in every household. Most of us have a very large traditional meal and spend the day with as many loved ones as we can gather with. Turkey is normally the centerpiece of the meal. The most import part is remembering and voicing what we are thankful for.
I hope you can experience it one day too.
Perhaps, your culture has a holiday that is similar. If so, tell us about it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
We have two big festivities here which are Ferragosto – 15th of August and Pasquetta (easter’s monday). We do gather together with families or friends and usually we do the barbecue. Ferragosto is really a HOLY day for us…probably the closest to your thanksgiving
LikeLike
Thank you for sharing with us! I’ll be looking them up to learn more😉
LikeLiked by 1 person