“Be thankful for what you have and you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”—Oprah Winfrey
The invitation for Thanksgiving from Kim and Al Chien is one we all look forward to each year. Family members and other guests arrive, engaging conversations take place around the spacious kitchen counters. Al offering all of us a drink as we munch on appetizers, chips, fresh raw veggies with a dill dip, and the like. All of us contribute a food item, side dish, or dessert. Cecile and I, and our son Jason were the first to arrive, followed by Jason’s partner Alex, our daughter Michelle, Kyle and our sweet granddaughters Lyla and Emmy who made a joyful entrance that delighted us all; and Kyle’s brother Chip and his girlfriend, Julie whom some of us had the pleasure of meeting for the first time. Getting back to Lyla and Michelle, they arrived with a story to tell. They participated in a kid's local Turkey Trot, and had a ribbon and wooden medallion around their necks that they were so proud of. Final details of this grand event were set in the kitchen.
After the turkey had a chance to sit at room temperature for a while Al started carving with the precision of a surgeon. A menu sits inside a plexiglas stand includes the food prepared and provided by our hospitable hosts as well as the side dishes and desserts brought by guests. Finally, we all convened around the elegant dining room table with a beautiful centerpiece. Kim, once again invited me to give a prayer/reading before we broke bread. This year, I chose A Prayer for Thanksgiving that I took poetic license to modify and adapt from an Unknown Author:
Thank you, for everything…the big things and small,
For every good gift comes from the Giver of them all.
All too often we accept, without any thanks or praise,
The gifts sent to us as blessings, each day in many ways.
And so this Thanksgiving time, we offer up a prayer,
To say thank you for giving us, a lot more than our share.
Thank you for the little things, that often come our way.
The things we take for granted, and barely mention when we pray.
The unexpected courtesy, the thoughtful, kind deed,
A hand that reaches out to help us in our time of sudden need.
May we be mindful and open our eyes, to the little daily graces
That comes to us with “sweet surprise,” from never-dreamed-of-places.
Thank you for the miracles, we are much too blind to see,
That gives us new awareness, of our many gifts from thy bounty.
And help us to remember, that the key to life and living,
Is to make each prayer of thanks, and every day a blessed Thanksgiving.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING WEEKEND TO EVERYONE
