A Few Words On Thanksgiving

I always say that after Halloween, it's a slippery slide into Christmas. Thanksgiving  as an individual holiday with its own characteristics, is pushed aside, or has been relegated to being the opening salvo of the Christmas season.

As a society, we've allowed the merchandisers of the big big stores to determine when and how we celebrate our holidays. We have given the power of those days set aside to celebrate our lives and the seasons over to them. ( Note to the Religious Right: If you still think there is a 'War on Christmas', this is the one to fight.Have the courage to fight this battle and leave the rest of us in peace.)

Sadly, it's become rather fashionable to disparage the Thanksgiving holiday. The exploitation of Native Americans by European settlers was and forever will remain a heinous act and a crime against humanity. But that is not the whole Thanksgiving story; it's also a day set aside in this nation for recognition of those who have tended the harvest, and the prosperity each of us have enjoyed during the year. Personally, I believe it's time to take back Thanksgiving and restore it as a day for giving thanks together, as a nation. It's a time to look back at the year and count all the little things we've survived as a society together, and to look beyond to the blessings we've received.

For me, this is a time of the year when the mind quiets. I pray more simply because taking stock of the blessings I've received during the year allows me to focus on what has mattered more sharply. It is a time of reflection as we leave the days of bounty and face the cold winter.

My best prayers are always the ones where words are not spoken and I observe the stillness. It is then when my own mind entwines with the gods and goddesses of the Divine and I simply am.

With our modern hectic lifestyle, it is difficult to set aside time to pray or meditate. May I make a suggestion? Do your prayer. Allow your intentions come out in your actions. It is an ancient concept we need to revive. If you are praying for goodness in your life, then do good. Pick up a piece of  litter or give a few coins to someone homeless ( better still, buy them coffee). If you are seeking peace in the world, then work for peace and justice. There are many things that can be done to put prayer into action.

Be grateful, and give thanks.