It is raining outside. I saw it when I first woke up and stumbled downstairs about twenty minutes ago to find coffee made for me as usual. Just now the rain started in earnest, easily heard on the roof and the pavement. So how shall I respond? I could say: “What a dismal day! I wish I could go back to bed! Why couldn’t we have just a little sunshine on Thanksgiving Day!” But things are moving along already in the kitchen…and (truth be told) I would love to go out and walk in the rain!
We have come through what has likely been the most tragic period of life in our world. It isn’t over yet but soon there will be a vaccine – or two or three! – that we hope will eradicate the virus that has been decimating the world population. Yesterday we heard a voice of hope from our next President urging us to come together as who we are: “the United States of America.” Within the past five minutes the phone in our kitchen rang bringing a sung wish from across the country in Albuquerque for our amazing Liz whose birthday we celebrate today and a picture appeared from my dear friend and colleague whose first and only grandson is smiling out at me from the internet. He will have a new brother or sister by summer!
There will be many such connections today, even though we are still needful of caution in dealing with the virus that has ravaged the world. I will pray throughout the day in thanksgiving especially for those who care for the sick, for those who are bringing us a vaccine, for people whose major activity today will be serving free meals at innumerable venues throughout the country, for the Sisters of St. Joseph who have been my life companions for 54 years and are beginning a new chapter in our life together as of last Saturday, for my family members whose voices I expect to hear on the telephone (and maybe see on a zoom call…) and for so much more. May we all give thanks for the great and the small blessings of our lives and come to know in an ever-deeper way the love that undergirds our lives.
Let us give thanks for all good gifts today. Happy Thanksgiving!
On this day when inhabitants of the United States of America celebrate Independence Day, I am very conscious of the words “united” and “independence.” In the first two texts I encountered this morning, the common word was “integrity” so I add that third to my alphabet soup as my thoughts swirl around the privilege of living in this country.
The Sophia Center for Spirituality 