Giving Thanks Never Goes Out of Style

As I sit here waiting for the turkey to be table - ready, with the smells of apple pie and oyster dressing wafting in the air, I realize how fortunate I truly am. In a few minutes I will join with my greatest blessings, family and friends, to celebrate with food, a warm fire and good conversation. All of these elements of our joyous feast sound so basic, so simple, yet they are so precious. More than this, they are more scarce than we may care to acknowledge.

Barack Obama and family were caught by the media yesterday..... they were caught doing a good deed. A local Catholic church hosted Thanksgiving dinner for Chicago's south side residents, providing a much welcomed meal to many hungry souls. Obama did not invite the press to come cover his participation in this event. To my knowledge, the national media did not pick this story up. Yet there it was, for his constituents to see and admire. The best part is, Obama didn't appear to do it for the admiration; he did it for the sheer joy of helping his fellow man. He was also quoted as saying he did it with his daughters to show them how blessed they are, and how important it is to give back when one has a dime, or some time, to spare.

Before my grandfather passed away he, my grandmother and I had a rotating tradition. Every even year we would go see a blockbuster movie Thanksgiving evening, after dinner had been well savored and digested. Every odd year, however, we would go after Thanksgiving dinner and serve at one of the local Soup Kitchens. As a child I preferred serving at the Soup Kitchen,even though movies were a special interest. I used to look in the eyes of the people as we'd serve the turkey and dressing; there was usually a mixture of despair, gratitude, hopelessness, bewilderment, and spirit. I would always smile and try to touch their hand as I gave them their plate.... I sensed a brief, empathetic interaction would be as nourishing for them as the food. Even at ten, eleven, twelve years old, I instinctively understood the need for human dignity, the need to feel cared about. No condescension, no "charity" handshakes; no, a genuine connection, from one human to another. I also instinctively understood I had to take a different approach with children, even the ones my age, than I did with adults. I would ask them about things I knew they would surely have some knowledge of, to establish a common foundation, then just hang for a bit after they'd been served, and I got a fifteen minute break. Connection to nourish the spirit, food to nourish he body.

As you sit around your table today, feeding your mind, body, and soul, feel good about how blessed you are. Give thanks to whom/whatever you feel has a hand in ensuring your blessings. Look around your table and quietly thank each person who is there, thank them for filling the spaces in your heart. Then, as everyone walks out the door, and you return to your kitchen to scrub down the cabinets, and clear the table, reflect on how many blessings you can count, just for today. The delicious meal, the delightful warmth of companionship. These are the things we hold to in life, the blessings we hold so dear. Then, as you thank whom/whatever you feel has brought these things into your life, think of those who aren't as fortunate. What could you do to share your blessings? No grand gestures required; sometimes, the clasp of a hand is good enough.