Sunday musings - November 19, 2017
As is often true, when I first start to review the week on Sunday morning, it seems as if all the events blend into one blur. Yet, I know that the week has been filled with many events in my small corner of the world and in the larger world.
I am, of course, aware that this week here in United States many will gather as a family to celebrate the day set aside as Thanksgiving. Many will not be gathering with biological family. Some will gather with their intentional families. For many that I know this will primarily be the recovery family that they have found in one of the 12 step programs. I will gather with part of my intentional family in Pittsburgh. We will have a very traditional dinner including the pies, which I will bake and take.
My son will travel by Megabus from Los Angeles to the San Francisco area where he will visit his mom and help her. She is recovering from injuries following a fall.
Many will spend the day in institutions including jails/prisons, juvenile facilities, group homes, treatment programs and the military facilities.
For others, death, addiction, or other challenges of mere survival will occupy their time and energy as it does every day of the year.
Many will be hunting. In some parts of this country and, I suspect, other countries, this week will mark the beginning of the hunting season. Here, I think, it will be deer season. Some will hunt because their family depends on the food. Some because they enjoy the experience of hunting with friends. Some will hunt because they want a trophy or just because they feel more powerful than they often do at their day job. For those with hunting family members, those remaining at home will prepare a feast.
On this Thanksgiving many will be working at hospitals, as first responders and in all the facilities, which keep essential services going or protect facilities while others are enjoying a holiday.
Some will gather in Church or other religious places to offer prayers of Thanksgiving and to draw upon the strength of each other.
It is also the week that has become known as Black Friday sales week. Black Friday sales now occur long before and long after the Friday following Thanksgiving. Many retailers depend on good sales to balance their budgets and, hopefully, make a profit.
Although this Thanksgiving holiday lacks for many the magic of religious holiday, for many, the magic is in the love, which brings people together to show off the best of who we are. They will gather in homes, halls, restaurants, homeless shelters, church basements and perhaps by tracks or in a protective grove of trees. They will bring food, warm hearts and in too some cases grief, old resentments and feuds.
At the center of many tables will be the symbolic turkey - real or faux. In a few cases there will be some human turkeys that will occupy chairs at the table. Perhaps this year the turkey will be us. We will arrive having left the best of who we are at home. With any luck and a lot of grace we, too, will be welcomed and forgiven. Perhaps if we are not the turkeys at the table we can be the ones who bring humility and forgiveness – unconditional love.
Written November 19, 2017
As is often true, when I first start to review the week on Sunday morning, it seems as if all the events blend into one blur. Yet, I know that the week has been filled with many events in my small corner of the world and in the larger world.
I am, of course, aware that this week here in United States many will gather as a family to celebrate the day set aside as Thanksgiving. Many will not be gathering with biological family. Some will gather with their intentional families. For many that I know this will primarily be the recovery family that they have found in one of the 12 step programs. I will gather with part of my intentional family in Pittsburgh. We will have a very traditional dinner including the pies, which I will bake and take.
My son will travel by Megabus from Los Angeles to the San Francisco area where he will visit his mom and help her. She is recovering from injuries following a fall.
Many will spend the day in institutions including jails/prisons, juvenile facilities, group homes, treatment programs and the military facilities.
For others, death, addiction, or other challenges of mere survival will occupy their time and energy as it does every day of the year.
Many will be hunting. In some parts of this country and, I suspect, other countries, this week will mark the beginning of the hunting season. Here, I think, it will be deer season. Some will hunt because their family depends on the food. Some because they enjoy the experience of hunting with friends. Some will hunt because they want a trophy or just because they feel more powerful than they often do at their day job. For those with hunting family members, those remaining at home will prepare a feast.
On this Thanksgiving many will be working at hospitals, as first responders and in all the facilities, which keep essential services going or protect facilities while others are enjoying a holiday.
Some will gather in Church or other religious places to offer prayers of Thanksgiving and to draw upon the strength of each other.
It is also the week that has become known as Black Friday sales week. Black Friday sales now occur long before and long after the Friday following Thanksgiving. Many retailers depend on good sales to balance their budgets and, hopefully, make a profit.
Although this Thanksgiving holiday lacks for many the magic of religious holiday, for many, the magic is in the love, which brings people together to show off the best of who we are. They will gather in homes, halls, restaurants, homeless shelters, church basements and perhaps by tracks or in a protective grove of trees. They will bring food, warm hearts and in too some cases grief, old resentments and feuds.
At the center of many tables will be the symbolic turkey - real or faux. In a few cases there will be some human turkeys that will occupy chairs at the table. Perhaps this year the turkey will be us. We will arrive having left the best of who we are at home. With any luck and a lot of grace we, too, will be welcomed and forgiven. Perhaps if we are not the turkeys at the table we can be the ones who bring humility and forgiveness – unconditional love.
Written November 19, 2017
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