This year has come and gone all too quickly. It’s certainly been a year long roller coaster ride for us. Gary and I have much to be thankful for and we give thanks daily for all Spirit has shown us and provided. Thanksgiving provides us that outlet to say “thanks” among all our friends who bear witness. So, as we gather round this large Thanksgiving table, courtesy of the World Wide Web, we raise our glasses and gives thanks for…
- The turkey who made its way to our dinner table 🙂 and all the Spirits that offer themselves on our table today. (Yes, INCLUDING the brussel sprouts.)
- The spectacular house and land that we now call home and Shaman’s Grove, and all the wonderful animal and nature spirits who reside here.
- Our children – the son who is now living here in Oregon, and the daughter who is far away, still in Arizona – and all the wonders and challenges that they brought/bring to our lives.
- Our health, including the lessons that were brought to us this year when Gary had a heart attack.
- All the wonderful health care professionals who assisted us during our emergency.
- The love, support and prayers from each of you, our friends and “family of choice”.
- The World Wide Web, for creating an open community where we can share readily with our “family” throughout the world.
- That our East Coast friends and family made it safely through Hurricane Sandy.
- The gift of being “the hollow bone”, being of service to Spirit and to you.
And, as we set a place at our table for all our unseen guests, we also offer this blessing to those who are unknown to us, but cross our paths and influence our lives on a daily basis.
The Blessing of the Stranger
This is courtesy of a friend and teacher, Patricia Ballentine.
“Since ancient times it has been a tradition to welcome the Stranger who approached our threshold or crossed our path. The Stranger was seen as the potential bringer of a great gift or lesson…and we recognized that we could well be such to them. Fear was not the foundation of the meeting…rather Love. Perhaps we had completed the harvest and the Stranger was a bard or great storyteller who would provide countless hours of enjoyment for our family as we sat gathered round the fire on cold winter nights. Perhaps they were simply without a meal for the evening and we could add a bowl of soup for them at our own table. And, perhaps we were the Stranger at the door of another seeking a warm hearth and open heart.
Countless Strangers impact our lives every single day…let us pause for a moment and offer to them…our blessings:
For all of the hands
That tilled the soil
And planted the seeds
And harvested the crops
And cared for the livestock…
For all of these hands, Strangers to us
We give thanks and we offer blessings.
For all of the hands
That packaged the products
And prepared the livestock
And brought all to market
And stocked the shelves…
For all of these hands, Strangers to us
We give thanks and we offer blessings.
For all of the hands
That are gathered ‘round this table or
That reach out to us from the distance…
Many Strangers once, but friends and family now…
For all of these hands…
We give thanks and we offer blessings.
May we use this food and the energy of
Love and grace
To nourish ourselves and each other
In Body, Mind and Spirit…
Aho, Blessed Be and Amen”
What are you thankful for today?
Thank each of you for being part of our lives. May today and all your days be blessed.
Until next time –
Mitakuye Oyasin (A Lakota prayer reminding us we are all related),
Debbie & Gary