For almost thirty years, since I was at the High School, I have followed a custom on Thanksgiving.
I try to spend the whole day mentioning living people who have been gifts to me. If possible, I say the name aloud; if not possible, I say the name “sotto voce”. I do it all day long. I don’t keep a count but I know that I say at least 600 names. I thank God first for sending them into my life and then I ask God to bless them. It is a wonderful way to spend the day.
Certain people come right to mind – especially if I am at Mass. (there isn’t a lot of quiet time in Mass; but I use the meditation time.). I had lots of time during the Mass at 8:00am as I was concelebrating with Fr. Ron and sat for the Offertory. At the 10:00am Mass, at which I presided; I told them of this practice and suggested that in place of a homily, we’d all sit and take some time to bring to mind the names of those for whom we are grateful. At St. Bernard’s and St. Michael’s, I would ask the people to share on what they were grateful to God for from the last year. It was very moving but I wasn’t sure that I could do that here, since I am not the pastor. However, the quiet time to reflect seems to have been acceptable to the congregation.
For me, it is neat that sometimes a name will come to me and then I remember their parents or another friend I came to know through them. Sometimes, I’ll see something on TV or hear it on the radio and it will call to mind another name or two.
Even as the day was ending, I thought of some people that I worked on a sunrise service years ago and that brought to mind and to my lips another 25 people. I enjoyed this Thanksgiving almost as much as the family gathering (74 of us) last Thanksgiving at the fire house. Next year for the fun of it, I might try to keep count of whom and how many; for now, I just trust it to God if there is anyone whose name I failed to mention – because all of you are blessings for which I am most grateful.
I had the two Masses and afterwards, I went to the rectory and had my traditional Thanksgiving peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I got in bed and saw the rest of the parade ( I had seen the beginning on the Today Show). There were a couple of marathons on TV (no! not running!) You know, like Lucy or Rosanne or James Bond. I kept dozing off but I got the gist of each of them!
Around 5pm, I had two Structure House sandwiches of Turkey and Cranberries with Skin Milk and a Jell-O desert. I went to bed for good around 10:30 (and missed the end of the Mentalist!)
All in all, a great day to spend with all my family and friends as I thanked God for peppering my life with them.
And I thought I had a strange Thanksgiving this year…. :-\