On Giving Thanks
Once upon a time, we knew that life
Never guarantees us anything,
Given that, why not just plunge a knife
Into your heart? No form of nannying
Vitiates vicissitude, and yet
Imagination hopes to set aside
Natural Law which says w’re all in debt.
God, the Source of Life, can just provide
The chance to be whatever we can be.
Happiness is found along the way ––
Achieving what we can with Charity.
No panacea can this truth gainsay.
Kings and Vassals –– equal in God’s sight ––
Should each give thanks as they fight the good fight.
FreeThinke, ~ The Sandpiper ~ Autumn 1996
Edward Winslow in November 1621:
ReplyDelete"our harvest being gotten in
, our governour sent foure men on fowling, that so we might after a
speciall manner rejoyce together, after we had gathered the fruits of our labours ; they foure in one
day killed as much fowle, as with a little helpe beside, served the Company almost a weeke, at which time amongst other Recreations, we exercised our Armes, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and amongst the rest their greatest king Massasoyt, with some ninetie men, whom for
three dayes we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five Deere, which they brought to the Plantation and bestowed on our Governour, and upon the Captaine and others. And
although it be not always so plentifull, as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God,we are so farre from want, that we often wish you partakers of our plentie."
A blessed Thanksgiving to you, FT.
ReplyDeleteI just love this Thanksgiving essay written by a student who as in my classes in 1980!
ReplyDeleteIn My Shoes: Looking for a better life? You already have what you need.
The laws of nature guarantee us mortal humans nothing but the essential components of existence. We then do what we will to make a better life for ourselves and our families.
ReplyDeleteIn a civilized and just society we would, as human beings, be guaranteed the ZZZ OPPORTUNITY to succeed.
Happy Thanksgiving FreeThinke (and All).
Don't know how the ZZZ's ended up in the preceeding. Ignore them. Perhaps the algorithm's are truly turning smart phones into, artificially intelligent devices. ;-)
ReplyDeleteRN: We thought maybe you fell asleep making that comment ;-)
ReplyDeleteAnother excellent bit of verse, FreeThinke. Thank you for publishing it for our pleasure.
Happy Thanksgiving!
And regardless of what goes on around us, we all have reason to give thanks to God.
Well, I had just woke up!
DeleteAmen to what Silverfiddle said.
ReplyDeleteThank you, everyone, for your good thoughts and kind feelings. Mirabile dictuwe seem to be thinking in accord today.
ReplyDeleteI just wrote the following to an anonymous poster who came to rail against the awful things he thought were being said about "us" at another blog, which shall remain nameless.
I don't think we need to retaliate in any way for all of that, Annymous, and I don't think we ought to call anyone nasty names.
After all, what good does it accomplish?
I've made it very clear I don't care for the worldview favored by the left. It's cynical, unduly pessimistic, lacking in faith, and favors treating others like ignorant children who have little or no intelligence and no power to do anything for themselves.
Leftists tend to be very bossy, because they assume they know better than others what is good for everyone in the world.
Because most Conservatives reject the "solutions" leftists devise for solving social ills, the leftists assume Conservatives must be utterly selfish, lacking in "compassion," and any desire to be kind and generous to the poor and needy.
That is NOT TRUE, but instead of getting enraged and bent out of shape by the willful blindness shown by the Left, it would be better for Conservatives to IGNORE the leftists, and simply practice their own Conservative brands of virtue and generosity as calmly, sweetly, intelligently, and considerately as possible wherever they may be at any given moment.
In truth the only person you can properly control is yourself.
Just be the best you can be, and do the most you can do, regardless of the nonsense and unkindness others may shower upon you, and that should be sufficient.
ANGER and DERISION are a great WASTE of TIME
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
ReplyDelete___ Summation ___
Thank God for family.
Thank God for friends.
Thank God for life,
Even in strife.
What a pity it ends
As we're following trends
Before we could hope
To start making amends!
Live and let live,
And above all forgive.
~ FreThinke
a very happy Thanksgiving to you, FT.
ReplyDeletez
And to you too, Z!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much.
~ FT
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
ReplyDeleteJMJ
Thanks, Jersey. Hope you've had a good one.
ReplyDeleteAnd a Happy Thanksgiving to you.
ReplyDeleteHappy Black Friday!
ReplyDelete