Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday—not yet commercialized, non-religious, and non-war related. It is a time for stopping and appreciating the many blessings you have. It’s a time for sharing the company of good people. It’s about gathering to share a bountiful meal. Who among us doesn’t have happy childhood memories of Thanksgiving smells, tastes, and gatherings filled with stories and laughter?
It’s in our nature to want to belong to some group. Tribes and ethnic groups around the world are still fighting today to hold onto their identities and territories. Thanksgiving provides us a chance to appreciate all we have, including a sense of belonging to something larger than ourselves—whether it’s a traditional family, a group of friends, a community, or a global connection to others everywhere. This photo from a gathering this week illustrates the varied and loved groups for which I’m grateful. It’s a gathering of car/dog/beer lovers at Hal’s garage in Old Town Alexandria. Many of us are wearing “college” sweatshirts a-la-Belushi, while my dog Elvis is sporting one that says, “collie,” since that’s what his dna test results indicated. I guess even Elvis is grateful this Thanksgiving for belonging to the garage gang and the collie breed.
I hope you find quiet moments this Thanksgiving to count your blessings and share moments of communion with others. Happy Thanksgiving!
No comments:
Post a Comment