Karen and I will be on our own this Thanksgiving. There’ll be no bantering, no loud arguments, no too-many-cooks-in-the-kitchen chaos. You know what—we’re okay with that.

Oh, we’ll miss the chaos, at least on one level. We love filling the kitchen with family and friends, breaking bread—or turkey, in this case—and sharing life as it comes. Building community ranks high on our list, but so does quietly, thoughtfully giving thanks.

Don’t misunderstand me: eating, celebrating, and thanking God for His blessings aren’t mutually exclusive—they belong together. Combined, they make for a deeply satisfying celebration. (And yes, I’m sure I’ll eat more than my share.)

But with just the two of us at the table, I expect our time will be more reflective this year.

With this in mind, I thought I’d share some musings that go to the heart of our national holiday.

🌻 “Gratitude goes beyond the ‘mine’ and ‘thine’ and claims the truth that all of life is a pure gift.” – Henri Nouwen (Life of the Beloved, 1992)

My two cents: Yes, I’m thankful for all the “things” I’ve been blessed with in my life—a great job and career, a lovely home, nice vehicles, opportunities for travel (the list goes on). And now, a great retirement. But having tasted the niceties of life, these days I find myself waking each morning and just thanking God for the gift of another day. The fact that I’m vertical.

For I believe it is He who breathes air into our lungs, who sustains our lives. Even through the daily pain of losing our daughter, Karen and I feel His presence, and for this I am most grateful.

“No human counsel hath devised, nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who… should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American people.” – Abraham Lincoln (Thanksgiving Proclamation, 1863)

🌻 My two cents:

Our revered president, though not given to outward religiosity, still attributed the great things achieved during our nation’s darkest hour—material, civic, and moral blessings—to the divine hand of God. He called them “gracious gifts” …not from any man, but from the Most High. Moreover, he called on all Americans to lift our thanks with one heart and one voice. Today, these words ring loud and beg a question—can we set aside long-simmering differences, in our discourse and our actions, to speak with one heart and one voice about anything?

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” – G. K. Chesterton (A Short History of England, 1917)

🌻 My two cents: I agree with GK. When I thank Karen for an amazing home-cooked meal, I’m overwhelmed by the gift of my partner in life, and the hand of Providence that led me to her. I can’t help but lift my thanks even higher. In the same way, when we hike side-by-side in the Olympic Mountains, I’m blown away by the creative hand that cut and shaped the hills and valleys around us—so we might have our “happiness doubled by wonder.” I feel that wonder in the grandeur of the mountain range, and in the simplicity of an intimate dinner by candlelight.

“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is ‘thank you,’ it will be enough.” – Meister Eckhart (14th century German theologian)

🌻 My two cents: Nothing to add here. This says it all.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, in his Essays: First Series, 1841, encourages us to “give thanks continuously” … and “because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”

A tall order, but one I’m determined to take to heart this Thanksgiving—right alongside all the turkey and trimmings I plan to deliver to my stomach.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!