Thanksgiving, the Feast of Gratitudes
Thanksgiving, by my preferred definition, is the Feast of Gratitudes. This brings to mind Thanksgiving celebrations which we traditionally hosted at home when my husband was alive. A custom we adopted before the meal and while everyone gathered around the festive table was asking all to mention what they were thankful for. The first time we did this, we caught our guests in surprise. They either stuttered for some long seconds, digged deep for answers, stumbled over words – or were just stunned quiet. Funny and amazing to me – I privately surmised, shouldn’t we be quick in identifying what we’re thankful for.
Perhaps, the difficulty was prioritizing the names or things. Perhaps, it was an unexpected query into what one values in life meriting gratitude. Maybe, it was a painful question of the moment, an uninvited peek that lent confusion. I honestly don’t know. But what I remember is that the next year we broached the improvised custom before Thanksgiving meal, the same guests were ready. It was like listening to endless thank you’s during an Oscar awards night. No awkward tension in the air, but hearty declarations of gratitude that put smiles in everyone’s face.
Gratitude is the real meat of Thanksgiving. For me, I always top my list with a love-filled thank you to our Father God in His son Jesus and the Holy Spirit – and then, to family, loved ones, friends … and on and on and on, a list hard to interrupt, like the garrulous rush during the warning from orchestral music on Oscar awards night.
Let’s be ready with our lists in our hearts and minds, for the coming Feast of Gratitudes. Happy, blessed Thanksgiving, everyone!
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Symbolical painting by Peck Piñon, celebrated Filipino artist
So fascinated by a photo that Jaja, the son of my nephew Chito, sent me, that I share it here in my blog. It is a picture of an oil painting on canvas by Filipino celebrated artist Peck Piñon, who also distinguished himself as a comedian/actor. The framed artwork is a gift of Chito’s Uncle Narding Paco, a retired businessman and modest art connoisseur and collector. Now in his late senior years, Narding has seen the heydays of his thriving business and its decline due to unfortunate circumstances. Chito and his siblings regard this uncle and his wife Lety with extreme gratitude for the selfless role the couple has taken in generously helping the family through challenging times. The priced painting is a precious gift to Chito from Narding.
Picture of an oil painting on canvas by celebrated Filipino artist Peck Piñon (Photo by John Albert Pandes)
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