This is a day for thanks.
A day in which we 
see or hear or feel
the wonders of the other
moments of the year.
This is a day for time.
A day in which we
think of pasts that make
our present rich
and future beautiful.
This is a day for joy.
A day in which we share a gift of laughter
warm and gentle
as a smile.
Above all, this is a day for peace.
So let us 
touch each other
and know that
we are one.
For these and other blessings,
we thank Thee, God.
~Daniel Roselle

I am counting my blessings today. On this Thanksgiving Day eve, I am looking around our now bustling house and counting one by one the gifts with which I am graced every day. I do so knowing that not all houses are busy with activity, not all are filled with what is needed, not all are warm, not all will welcome friends, family and food tomorrow. And so I am counting the blessings that are mine.

I have thought over the last days about how this Thanksgiving which we celebrate is as much a day about humility as it is about turkey and stuffing, parades and other traditions. It is a moment in which, we the privileged, are reminded of all we have and also all those who have little. While we gather around our tables laden with food that will sustain us, foods often more frivolous than merely nutritious, we also have the opportunity to be reminded of those who struggle to make ends meet. It is a time to say a prayer for those on the edges.

I don't write these words to be a downer but simply as a reminder to myself to take stock of all the blessings that often go unnoticed on an ordinary day. Just as a grace before meals allows us the moment to be reminded of all the things that come our way through no work of our own hands, through the movement of the Creator, Thanksgiving Day can be a moment to remember all those simple yet important gifts that are our everyday fare….food,water,warmth,a bed at night, health care, a support system of people we trust, a job that brings us income and perhaps even joy. Things that on an ordinary day we participate in but rarely say grace over.  

Many people will help feed the hungry tomorrow. Still others have given financially to organizations that will provide the Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings to those who otherwise would have none. Those who work in shelters and soup kitchens will do everything they can to make Thanksgiving a day to celebrate. God bless all who do this work. The world is a better place for their kind, caring and loving presence.

 As I gather with friends and family tomorrow, I want to do so with a heart full of joy knowing the depth of my blessing. I also want to do so with humility knowing that some of my brothers and sisters do not have the resources I do. As we hold hands to offer grace before the meal, I pray that we all will be reminded of the silent ones who exist over our shoulders, just outside the circle, who struggle with life. May we be reminded of all that connects us and how little separates us. And may we know that we are all held in equal love by the One who breathed us into being.