I have a rather special connection to Thanksgiving. While my dear, sweet wife believes that connection may be that I can be a turkey, that’s not the connection I am thinking of… The connection that I’m thinking of is that I’m a Thanksgiving child. Again, this year my birthday falls on Thanksgiving Day. That only happens about once every 6 years (thanks to leap years) … but more than half the time my birthday falls during the long Thanksgiving weekend… And it always falls in that time of year when those of us in this country are reflecting on a season of thanksgiving.
As a part of that celebration of thanksgiving there are many traditions… Every family seems to have their own set of traditions that enrich their celebrations and the remembering of the things for which they are thankful. At the center of these traditions are of course the Thanksgiving meal, a gathering of family and a coming home … and for many an outreach to the hungry and the homeless.
So much of this American tradition centers around the home… and all that home means. There is no one meaning for home; but, it is certain that it almost always extends beyond the walls and roof that shelter us from weather.
Last night on the coldest night since last winter there was a fire in a rental home that we own… occupied by a friend and now neighbor… seemed that all of our city’s fire trucks were here… in the middle of the night for a couple of hours at least… another neighbor answering my wife’s call from Mississippi came over to awaken me to let me know about the fire. I am a sound sleeper! Everyone is ok… The neighbor that came over to wake me has given shelter to the single mom and two children. I’ll survey the damage in an hour or so… We are thankful for so much!
While writing these words, I took a break to go through my mail suddenly drawn to something that was obviously not a bill or another credit card offer or the typical slick piece of advertising inviting yet deeper connection to the material world … but a small note… A Thank You Note! A very personal thank you note from a client now friend for something that happened more than a year ago… something still remembered and having meant enough to take the time from the business of life to write a beautiful thank you note… a note that brought tears and a smile.
I believe in blessings. I believe saying thank you has great power. I hope that you find yourself thankful this Thanksgiving. Letting others know of your thankfulness is a way of keeping that power going.
I am thankful for being a Thanksgiving child.
May the Market be with you.
