Thanksgiving Weekend is upon us. Our incredible weather means that I am still wearing sandals on October 7th. The forecast for the weekend means that family gatherings will likely include hikes, sitting on the dock one last time, walks around the block and other outdoor activity before we all hunker down for winter.
Thanksgiving is typified by many things – turkey dinner, family gathering, final yard work, putting away the lawn furniture and, particularly in our area, driving around to check the coloured leaves. It is also a time to do an accounting of what we give thanks for. I am wondering what is on your list this year? I have been thinking of my ‘gratitude attitude’ as this Thanksgiving Weekend approaches and I realize that what I am most thankful for directly reflects what is going on in my life these days. As you may know, I continue to connect by social media with our Syrian family still stuck in Iraq. My beloved is facing some major challenges as age overtakes him and this means lots of trips to appointments of various kinds. I am looking ahead to 2017 as my job restructures and I work less hours. Sunday afternoon I will gather with my extended family on the farm where I was raised and where my niece still lives with her family but the 407 has taken the lower acres of the farm and highway construction has changed the countryside all around them. It seems there is change at every front but still I find myself filled with gratitude for all that brings robust joy to my life. Here is what is on my list. How be you make a list too?
I am thankful for…
technology that takes me to friends and loved ones around the world
a medical system that takes seriously the aged and their particular challenges
a car and the ability to drive it
a pay cheque and the promise of a pension
money to pay for help that is needed
a heritage and a place to call home
family and a network of friends
work colleagues who value community with all its ups and downs
the sunflowers sitting on my desk, brought in by a parishioner
that my baseball team is winning and they provide hours of entertainment
a cup of coffee carried to me by a friend
a grocery store to shop in and resources to buy what I need
a lawn to cut and a garden to weed
a faith to sustain me and a God to thank
Perhaps that about covers it. One mentor preached “life is never a burden so long as one is always mindful of the privilege of living”.