Today I am thankful for resting my head in cozy bed with a supportive husband to nestle into. I’m thankful for Bird and Deal, two extraordinary boys who add glitter to my sometimes tarnished soul. I’m thankful for Lark, our furry rescue reminder of unconditional love. I’m thankful to be sharing this holiday with Jennie and the Perillo girls (I’d love Jennie even if she didn’t cook.). I’m thankful for wanting for nothing and being able to give my time, money, and voice to help others. I’m thankful to be healthy and whole.
Yet my heart is simultaneously full and heavy on this Thanksgiving Day.
The news from Ferguson and Charlottesville have left a pit in my stomach and a hole in my psyche. How can it be that we live in a society that does not value the lives of young African American boys and women in general? We not only discount these lives, we fail to protect them, advocate for them, and now we denigrate them. Our culture perpetuates these injustices, and the tide is rolling for a rightful revolution to begin. As we knead our thoughts, emotions, and perspectives into action, I pray for peace.
I wrote this for Thanksgiving several years ago. The words resonate still.
More loving, less loathing.
More helping, less hindering.
More giggles, less gloom.
More humility, less hubris.
More friendship, less fighting.
More praise, less pain.
More delight, less depression.
More glee, less grief.
More smiles, less sadness.
More gratitude, less grousing.
More respect, less ridicule.
More shining, less shunning.
More grace, less grandeur.
More loftiness, less lowliness.
More hugging, less hitting.
More agreement, less agitation.
More compromises, less conflicts.
More affection, less affliction.
More joking, less jeering.
More hope, less hate.