Thanksgiving and the Gift of Abundance

Tomorrow in the United States, it's Thanksgiving. This is a time when traditionally we are to give thanks for all that we have. In actuality, many of us are over eating and some even testing the boundaries of gluttony as they eat more than their fill. We no longer wish people a Happy Thanksgiving but rather a Happy Turkey Day, though I doubt many turkeys are all that happy.

Thanksgiving was a time when the early settlers where sharing their abundance. They were pleased to have survived the year and were sharing their harvest. Our nation continues to be a rich nation in many ways, though there is growing poverty in this nation.

Many people have little, if anything, to share and struggle to survive on the streets, having fallen through the cracks of social programs and private centers set up to help. Others have more than enough material wealth but are drowning in a sea of lonliness and alienation.

As we each go off to spend the day in our own manner, whether helping out at a shelter or spending time with family and friends or running off to the local ski resort for a few turns, let's remember to ponder the ways we can share our abundance. Perhaps we don't have the material goods to offer to help another, but we can take the time to listen. We can speak our truth when we see others suffering. If we have material abundance, perhaps we can give. We can give items that we no longer love. Coats and blankets can be as important as money and food at the shelters in the winter. We can give money and we can give our time. When we are exhausted and feel we have no more to give, maybe we can find one more smile.

What gifts can we offer to those who are not so blessed?