Suncoast Hospice Director of Spiritual Care Jim Andrews
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. How can you go wrong when you put together cultivating gratitude with the smells and tastes of recipes passed down through generations. Just thinking of the dinner table jam-packed with serving trays and family and friends smiling and laughing together as they share a delicious meal and the company of those they love. Thanksgiving in 2020, however, is going to look and feel quite different. Eight months into this global pandemic, we are acutely aware of all that we are missing: the warm embraces, the shared meals, and the large gatherings of boisterous people celebrating. And for far too many people around the world and in our own country and community, there are empty chairs around the table as a result of COVID-19.
Yes, Thanksgiving this year will be different, but I can’t remember a year that we have needed Thanksgiving more. We need to pause amidst all of the chaos and disruption that we have all experienced this year in order to turn our eyes towards that which still fills our lives with meaning and our hearts with joy. We need to recognize the precious and fragile nature of our lives and our relationships and determine to never take another moment for granted. We need to truly appreciate the miracle and the opportunity of each new day and let the sacred words come up from deep within us . . . . Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Have a great week, everyone and Happy Thanksgiving!
Jim
