In All Things, Give Thanks

Children in Native American costume at International Family Center grand opening, 2004
Originally uploaded by Seattle Municipal Archives

This is Thanksgiving week and my teenage children have reacted in horror to the announcement that we are eating out for Thanksgiving dinner. Sadly, they don't comprehend the depth of my gratitude that others are cooking for us this year. One day . . .

This is the week, not too many years ago, when these same children would "host" a Thanksgiving feast at their preschool. Parents would arrive solemnly to the sound of Indian drumbeat and would sit in tiny chairs, knees to nose. We would be adorned with hand-crafted Pilgrim headgear and sing "We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing," accompanied by earnest, beautiful little voices. This ceremony was followed by a paper plate feast of turkey roll-ups, cheese sticks, and a juice box. In all things, give thanks.

I cherish this memory. I am grateful for the days of making pinecone turkeys and reading stories about the Mayflower and Miles Standish and the first feast with Squanto and the Indians. I am grateful for the days spent chopping celery and onions and yanking bags of innards from the turkey cavity, often after the turkey was cooked. This year I am grateful for a daughter returning home for the holiday, a house that doesn't have to be cleaned, and for those who will prepare the feast for me.

I am grateful for very simple things too. The view out my office window. The comfort of my own bed. The sound of quiet.

This is Thanksgiving week, and as you gather together with family and friends, reflect on those things profound or simple for which you are grateful. Count your blessings and remember the good in life. In all things, give thanks.