Giving Thanks

On Thanksgiving Day you’re supposed to give thanks instead of presents. Giving thanks is really more challenging than giving presents, because it involves looking inward, and in many cases the attitude of gratitude may not be visible to anyone else. In a year of unprecedented economic upheaval, an inventory of quiet inner blessings may be the perfect antidote to the fear, anger and blame about lost fortunes and an uncertain future.

Here are some ideas for outwardly expressing appreciation:

• Write thank you notes on Thanksgiving Day to anyone whom you would like to thank for anything at all. Handwritten notes are a treat to receive in this day of computerized communication, and an unexpected thank you multiplies the effect .
• Decorate your table with natural weeds or squash or gourds or leaves that you have collected on a fall walk. I thought of this one before being buried under an unexpected foot of snow in November! Noticing natural beauty is a simple way of being grateful.
• Have each person around the table on Thanksgiving Day express thanks for one thing they are personally thankful for. This sharing of thanks is inspiring, and can be more meaningful than listening to one person say grace.
• Invite someone who is in need of friendship or support to share your table.
• Call your family members who are unable to be with you at your Thanksgiving table. Everyone appreciates being remembered on a special day, and a simple phone call and holiday greeting will nearly always produce a smile and warm feelings.
  

You may be thinking that these suggestions are too obvious and too simple, but often the obvious is exactly what we overlook. And the most meaningful thankfulness of all still resides in our hearts when we take a quiet moment to reflect on the positive things in our lives.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Brand New

Brand New

The first hours and days of a baby’s life are so memorable for parents, brothers and sisters and grandparents. Our 7th grandchild, and 5th grandson, arrived on Sunday morning, November 9, at 7:47 a.m. He decided to arrive a bit early (his due date was December 16th,) but we were all ready to welcome him , and his mom was a little bit tired of bed rest, so he decided to get the sands moving through the hourglass of his time on the face of the earth. Benjamin weighed 5 lbs. 13 ounces at birth, and he is 19 inches long. Although tiny, he is perfectly shaped, and has good color. He seems to be able to suckle, although he is not strong enough yet to pull effectively, so Pirrie is pumping after each feeding to stimulate the milk production, and help him grow.
This is our 3rd grandchild to be born in 2008, and it is always a MIRACLE. How perfectly each little hb (human being) is formed, and how efficiently each one operates. Taking those first breaths of oxygen, sipping those first drops of sustenance from the mother, all the while multiplying cells at a jet propulsion rate, it is so magnificent that we are overwhelmed with wonder every single time. How amazing that the complexity of living makes us nearly unaware of the mystery in the simple details of being alive: breathing, eating, eliminating what is not needed. Do you hear your heart beating? MARVELOUS!
Today I found myself reviewing with my 7-year-old grandson how the amount of milk produced by a mother adjusts to fit the needs of her baby. When the baby needs more, the mother’s body figures it out and produces more. My grandson thought this was very reassuring and, come to think of it, so do I!
The birth of a baby helps me see what really matters, and appreciate the wonderful, hopeful blend of old and new in a brand new life.