Thanksgiving had more meaning this year. And not only because of the weather
It goes without saying that the holiday fell toward the end of a very troubled week. One that began with sober news, rapidly followed by civil discord, random violence and outright looting that spread across the country. In that wake, all persons of good conscience were no doubt ready for the welcome respite of a time-seasoned holiday.
We have no doubt that mealtime prayers offered Thursday in many households included entreaties for peace and a restoration to wholeness of strife-torn communities. The need to work toward those worthwhile goals will still be waiting for us when the workweek resumes.
Until then, we should continue to relish the memories of a good meal — one hopefully shared with family, friends and neighbors, or all of the above. The remembrance of good times should linger in our homes for at least as long as the aroma of cinnamon, allspice and other fixings of Thanksgiving meals.
As the traditional start of the year-end holiday season, Thanksgiving strikes us as a good place to begin thinking on a personal level about the needs of others outside our circles of family, friends and acquaintances. It’s common in this season for thoughts to pivot toward the poor in our midst. That’s a natural instinct as falling temperatures outside cause bells of conscience to begin quietly ringing in our heads.
This is a good thing, in our view, for many of our neighbors are in need this year. The slow, but real economic recovery has not yet caught up all of us in its midst. Not by a long shot.
That’s worth considering in the days to come. Helping those in need — in some way large or small — is the sincerest manifestation of gratitude that any of us can offer on Thanksgiving and the other 364 days of a year.
