Not originally a festival that is celebrated in India, the place where I originally come from, yet, one of the very first traditions of America that warmed my heart was this, the beautiful sentiment of "Thanksgiving" , because for me, the real thanks at Thanksgiving is eventually to God. A time of the year when, as I am surrounded by my loving family and at the same time as I dearly miss the rest of my loving family, I can never stop myself from tearing up. It, for me, is in many ways a humbling moment as I cannot gather my arms around the many blessings that God has bestowed upon me to be able to thank him for all of them. I think as the years go by, I have more reasons to thank him and I pray that things remain so for as long as I live....
His blessings upon us come in many forms, loving husband, good kids, kind parents and caring family, the list goes on and is customized according to the order of priority for each individual.
Also as the years go by and you gain some insights of your own, things take on a new perspective. Not only do you come to realize who you really are , you also come to know what is important to you, what is the bottom line .I think I sense a little detachment or strive for it at least rather than the frantic struggle to achieve that I was constantly in earlier.I feel a little detachment will let me fix my attention on the immediate moment, allow the future to take care of itself while at the same time rely on the past for the wisdom of knowing what to do right now. I think I feel some freedom as I venture into this positive and full absorption in the present just as it is right now. Yes, I detect tones of contentment here.
So here I say my thanks for all the years I've had and all that lies in store for me...........hoping its all good and if not that it then comes with the courage and wisdom that will be needed to deal with whatever it is.
I am reminded of what Thomas Merton said here,
"What do I need to be happy? God has given me the ability to be happy in my own situation simply by accepting what is present before me and doing the best I can with it. Can I not be content with this personal happiness?Do I need to get someone else's approval before my guilt and anxiety cease? Do I need to measure my happiness against my neighbors to be certain that I am happy indeed? Can happiness that's free, available to anyone anywhere and at any time, private and personal, be genuine? We are quite capable of being happy in the life He has provided for us, in which we can contentedly make our own way, helped by His grace. We are ashamed to do so. For we need one thing more than happiness: we need approval. And the need for approval destroys our capacity for happiness."
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