Thanksgiving is a
traditional family gathering time. Uncles, aunts, siblings, nieces,
grandchildren, and more come together to feast and rejoice. Yet, for many of
us, the tradition has broken down because of distance. Nancy is in Colorado.
Carol is in Maine. Rose Evelyn is in a nursing home two hours away. Bob is in
Texas. Ken is in far western Kansas. Holmes is in Missouri. We’re scattered far
and wide.
We make do. We talk on the
phone to each other. We join friends for the day or have nuclear family celebrations.
Of course it isn’t just on
holidays that we miss the love and support of family members. Only one of my
three children could visit me when I had knee surgery. Dennis has had no one to
help him in caring for me through convalescence. I can’t be with my daughters
as they grieve for loss of their half-brother through suicide.
A great consolation to me
is that if we can’t help our family members, we help others instead and receive
help from friends and neighbors. In Maine, Carol has befriended a neighbor who
lives alone and suffers from macular degeneration. She takes him to the grocery
store. In Colorado, Nancy prepared meals for a woman who lives alone and had
knee joint replacement. Here in Kansas, my neighbor Laurie has become like a
daughter to me. She pops in often to offer encouragement and food. After my
surgery other friends showed up bearing complete meals for us.
This reminds me of the
Bible verses from Matthew:
“Then the King will say to those on
his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you
gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you
welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I
was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?
And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will
answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of
these my brothers, you did it to me.’”
When we do a kindness to a stranger, we do it also
for a family member. We are all part of the family of man.
Now, let’s dig into some twice-as-nutty, half-as-sweet pecan pie. Happy Thanksgiving.
Copyright 2014 by Shirley Domer
1 comment:
I love the verse you mentioned from Matthew. I believe this is right: we are all connected -- and when we reach out to others we are also helping ourselves. It feels good to be needed, it feels good to love.
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