Dear Family and Friends,
Today is the day before what was, at one time, my favorite holiday. Yes, it is Thanksgiving Eve, and I am beyond grateful for my countless blessings. I am not canceling the holiday however am practicing being more compassionate and mindful of my intentions of celebrating this day.
In recent years, many things have come to my awareness that, in short, disturb and disgust me, and my heart is no longer willing to just look away. Although a day isn’t close to being enough to celebrate life’s gifts and practice gratitude and thanksgiving, it isn’t something I am willing to give up. So I plan to recognize the reality from which this holiday stems and extract what it means to me.
America is a country that is in its teenage and or young adult years, so to speak. During the teen and young adult years, many of us learn and are exposed to things that family members who came before did that we feel were wrong and caused harm.
The realization that our elders aren’t perfect is part of the coming-of-age story we all face, and we get through it. It takes a little understanding, compassion, and acceptance. Suppose we are willing to use those tools at some point. In that case, we can move through, shift, and focus on the fact that our inheritance of perfection is in the spiritual realm, not the physical. This is what we are called to do now with our country.
We are divided because of the sins of our father’s and more than that, the lying and unwillingness to see and speak the Truth and own up to it can be most infuriating. And yet, this holiday has evolved into a day where we celebrate family, love, health, wealth, friends, the Divine, and all of our blessings, so I am going to scoop that part out and embrace it while sending loving energy, blessings, and gratitude to those that lost their lives and families for me to be here right now.
I look back to those Indigenous Peoples that have lost so much for so many. There is a special place in my heart and soul that will always live in gratitude and thanksgiving for what they have had to give up. My job is to see how my life may help create a world that works for them because they are part of me.
To be honest, nothing in my mind or heart knows how to do that today, but what if those of us who are up to it say a special blessing for that idea before carving the turkey tomorrow? Who’s in?