Wow, Thanksgiving is already upon us. School
is out for all of next week, academic pressure is off
for a little while, and many will travel for family gatherings.
For years and years, my sister and I have
prepared a very formal Thanksgiving meal at her gracious
home in Plano for the extended family. The best linens,
china, silver and crystal emerged from their normal storage
spots to endure the yearly washing and preparation time.
This year, after a rather tumultuous summer and fall for
both of us, and the growing realization that what people
really wanted to do was snack in front of the TV and watch
football, we changed our plans. Everything will be disposable—when
the meal is over, we’ll pick up the four corners
of the plastic tablecloths and tie them up and place all
in the trash can.
Clearly, this will be much easier on the
cleaning crew (read: me), but I also know we are putting
behind a cherished tradition and will miss the beauty
of the exquisite table settings and the quiet and extended
conversations that often took place around them. However,
in the last 13 months, four of the five elderly people
who sat around that table have died. Both of my husband’s
parents, my father and my sister’s mother-in-law
have all gone on to new life in the glorious and unveiled
presence of God. My mother is the only one left, and frankly,
she always thought my sister and I were a bit crazy to
put on such a show anyway.
So I suspect that tradition has now passed.
And other things are different. Traditionally, my three
sons have all managed to get back to the Metroplex for
this holiday. But my oldest son’s wife has just
given birth by C-section this week to their second son
and the trip will be too much for them. Middle son, wife
and five month-old daughter should make it, but they rightly
need to split time with her family. Youngest son needs
to explore the seriousness of a relationship he has formed
with a lovely young woman and so will celebrate Thanksgiving
with her family in Florida this year.
Changes, changes, changes. They happen
to all of us. And I hope that each of us will take time
this week to ponder them and say “Thank You”
to God for each of them, no matter how welcome or unwelcome
those changes may be. A “Thank You” like that
is a transformative experience. It slows us down for a
moment, encourages just a bit of reflection, and reminds
us that, while we may not be able to direct our lives
just the way we’d like, we can still receive life’s
experiences with grateful hearts and find the goodness
and hope in them.
So my prayer for all who read this post:
“May the love of God the Father, the grace of God
the Son, and the communion of God the Holy Spirit surround
each of you in your time of thanksgiving, family, food
and fun. Go in peace, dear friends, and find all joy in
this holiday. Amen and Amen.”
