Giving Thanks

Giving Thanks

Giving thanks
In times of despair
In times of division
In times of destruction

Giving thanks
How can I?
Why must I?
In giving thanks,
I search below the heartache
Of loss and hardship
I seek meaning 
In the everyday
Finding appreciation – even gratitude.

I whisper an alleluia
For the beauty
Of my garden – now put to bed
Resting, restoring
While winter settles in.
The garden is my delight
In the leaf embedded soil
I see HOPE

I smile
As the first snow flies
Squalling around my car
I utter thanks for my studded snows
For the ability to buy them,
The work of those who made them, mounted, aligned
And balanced them.
As I drive, musically now, down the road
I wonder if maybe my tires
Hold a lesson for me.
Might winter quiet 
Hold moments for me to balance, align?

I give thanks for my wood stove
Precious are the moments spent
Sitting in quiet stillness
Knowing the warmth
Of flames embracing logs,
Creating coals
Sharing heat.
Giving thanks for the trees, the “wood guy”
The hands that stacked and the ability, now, to build a fire
Giving thanks
For the quiet comfort
Moments spent alone and with others.
How might I radiate that warmth?
Giving thanks.

Our winter world is greying now
The shroud of clouds
Fitting for the empty trees and the brown, leafed oaks 
I give thanks for the colors
The reds of the cardinals, rich browns of the remaining robins
The red berries they hunger for
I am eager to give them seeds
Wondering – have black bears hunkered down yet?
Giving thanks 
For the birds of winter

Families gathering for holidays
Despite so many holes
So much loss
Families finding the courage and strength 
To gather and go on.
To share a meal of thanksgiving
For all remaining
And memories of those past
To persevere in life
While holding grief and, maybe, ambiguous loss
The loss of so much gone
But breath remaining 
Families finding gratitude nevertheless
Giving thanks.

Friends,
Our chose companions
Giving thanks
Thanks for the laughter
For the fun times – 
Created in a landscape
Of loss and fear
During this time of 
Pandemic and political ugliness
This time of dangerous division
Giving thanks for the love
The kindness
The loyalty 
Of friends.

Giving thanks
For the joy of having a partner
A companion for life
Giving thanks for my husband
For the jars he opens
The computer confusion he clears up
For the love he shows
By supporting my commitment 
To care for my dad
Separating us for so many nights
 So many meals
So many miles
Giving thanks.

The trees, the birds, the earth
Our world
The people
The People
For these I give Thanks
It is where I know 
Love, joy and hope
It is where I see God.

Happy Thanksgiving!