Every now and then, a quiet moment will come upon us, and a thought of some treasure in our lives will surprisingly overtake us. For that moment, we cherish our treasure, remember to be grateful, and resolve never to take it for granted. Reality intrudes, and the thought of our treasure vanishes as quickly as it came.
Thanksgiving means many things, but generally it asks us to stop and reflect for more than a moment about treasures like those. With origins in giving thanks for the harvest that was needed to sustain us in the months to follow, the holiday has stretched to embrace the family and friends that bring so much joy into our lives.
As this holiday approaches, let us take the moments we need to be thankful for all of our treasures, and share with them just how much they mean to us. Let us also offer thankfulness for hidden treasures: the soldier serving their country, who won’t be seeing family next week (or possibly ever again); the parent who diligently shows up day after day to a grindstone job, to make a space in this world for their child; the first-responder who runs towards the danger everyone else is running from; the kindness that came our way unexpectedly, just when we really needed it; and thankfulness for the moment we realized we had the chance to be that kindness for someone else, and did it.
Treasures come in all shapes and sizes.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
…Ray Parker