Gratitude is a little appreciated virtue, especially nowadays, when mere civility is waning.
Here is the root of Thanksgiving Day celebration for those of us in the USA. President Washington and many Americans wanted to express gratitude regularly to the Divine for the many blessings this nation and its peoples had received.
However we think of the spiritual Source, impersonal or personal, humble gratitude felt & expressed for the inspirational Presence we rarely feel, but always know is there, is good. Doing this more than once a year is better. Living consciously within or as the Presence is best. But that is for the distant future for most of us.
http://www.claremont.org/writings/precepts...ml?FORMAT=print Nicholas-san!
I send the besh of wishes to you and yours, and all the members of your study group.
Here is one of the best things I ever read on Thanksgiving:
~~~
Time to Reflect on an Embarrassment of Riches
by Dear Abbey
(The following is the Dear Abby column that runs
every year in the newspaper on Thanksgiving Day.
I find it very true to the spirit of the day,
so here it is.)
Dear Readers: How's your health? Not so good?
Well, thank God you've lived this long.
A lot of people have not been so fortunate.
You're hurting? Thousands - maybe millions -
are hurting even more. (Have you ever volunteered
at a nursing home? Homeless shelter? A
rehabilitation clinic for adults or children?)
If you awakened this morning able to
hear the birds sing, use your vocal cords
to speak, walk to the breakfast table on
two good legs, and read the newspaper
with two good eyes - praise the Lord!
A lot of people couldn't.
How's your pocketbook? Thin? Well,
most of the world is a lot poorer. In fact,
a third of the people in the world will
go to bed hungry tonight.
Are you lonely? Then remember the
way to have a friend is to be one. If
nobody calls you, pick up the phone and
call someone.
Are you concerned about our country's
future? Hooray" Our political system has
been saved by such concern.
In this great country of ours, you can
worship at the church of your choIce, cast
a secret ballot, and you can even criticize
your government without fearing a knock
on the head or a knock on the door at
midnight. And if you want to live under a
different political system, you are free to
go. There are no walls or fences -
nothing to keep you here.
A final thought: Want an instant high?
The surest way to beat the holiday blues
is to do something nice for someone else.
Why not call a person who lives alone
and invite him or her to dinner?
Better yet, call and say, "I'm coming to
get you; and I'll see that you get home."
(Some older people don't drive, and those
who do may not like to be behind the
wheel after dark.) Try it. And please
let me know the results.
And now, I'll repeat the Thanksgiving
Prayer that was penned by my mother
years ago. My Thanksgiving would not be
complete without it:
Oh, heavenly Father,
We thank thee for food and remember the hungry.
We thank thee for health and remember the sick.
We thank thee for friends and remember the fnendless.
We thank thee for freedom and remember the enslaved.
May these remembrances stir us to Thy service,
That thy gifts to us may be used for others.
Amen.
- Love, Abby
P .S. We have much to be grateful for on
this Thanksgiving Day. For those of you
with a little time to spare - how about
showing our gratitude to veterans by
visiting a veteran's' hospital and raising
the spirits of those who have served our
country in years past?
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Dear Abby
Thanks Nick!
Dara & I reciprocate and wish the best for you & yours.
To those folks out in the distant ethers, have a feast of thanks-giving, all of you!
There is so much to be grateful for!
Glorious Thanksgiving to all.