![\"Rockwell,](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/81\/2015\/11\/Rockwell-Thanksgiving.jpg\")
<\/a>\nOur family thanksgiving gathering is actually going to be tomorrow at Jan\u2019s mom\u2019s home across the metroplex. Jan\u200b and I are the primary cooks. So, today has been largely about the kitchen. <\/p>\n
I\u2019m doing one of those foolish things, cooking something for sharing without having done it before. The clan ranges from must have dead animal on the table three times a day to vegans. There have been tensions in the past. Jan\u2019s and my contribution is bridging all this as much as possible. So, one of three entrees will be Turkey breast (avoiding the corpse part of the problem), currently sitting in the \u2018fridge \u201cdry brining.\u201d The other two will be vegan options, one brought by other members of the family. <\/p>\n
So, the foolish thing. I\u2019m making a vegan pumpkin ravioli dish. I\u2019ve never made raviolis before. A small time saver was purchasing potsticker wrappers (yes, made without eggs) However, I miscalculated and purchased one packet when I needed two. And so feeling a little guilty for doing any shopping on this day, I made a run to the almost local mega mart. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s housed in a large strip mall. As I drove in there was a bit of a line outside the Best Buy. I was, honestly, a bit surprised as I think the real deals these days are mostly to be found online. But, there they were. Not tons of folk, but a batch, with bundled coats and chairs. Didn\u2019t see any tents, and wasn\u2019t really sure when the store actually is supposed to open. Maybe midnight?<\/p>\n
And then as I made my way to the grocery store, standing near an entrance, but not too near, was a youngish looking woman with two children. The sign she was holding up was heart breaking. Being past lucky in the great lottery I gave her some money. And after collecting up my wonton wrappers, I got in the car and drove home.<\/p>\n
Feeling mixed feelings.<\/p>\n
Among them. Guilt. I am so lucky. Mostly lucky. Bewildered by the idea of people celebrating Thanksgiving by standing on line for a day. Torn so much that a woman with two children is begging in order to feed her children. In this country, which I still somewhere deep down feel should be better than that.<\/p>\n
And I think about Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere I\u2019ve discussed how I find it unfortunate our American holiday is attached to the Pilgrim and Indian story with its ugly subtext. Unfortunate because the holiday is a deep visceral thing, a time to be grateful. I have a few friends who think there shouldn\u2019t have to be days set aside to celebrate things like gratitude. But I think they\u2019re wrong. Such things are about as old as our humanity. Certainly this particular seasonal celebration of gratitude is at least as old as agriculture. <\/p>\n
In the great mix, amongst the uncertainty of life, I find myself thinking of that silly Passover song with the refrain going something like \u201cthey tried to kill us, we\u2019re alive, let\u2019s eat.\u201d Pretty much all humans could sing that song.<\/p>\n
And a little acknowledging how lucky we are for what we have; what a seasoning for a meal.<\/p>\n
And there\u2019s that woman and her children. A few bucks helped today. She needs more. And she\u2019s not alone in this need and the fragility of it all.<\/p>\n
Which makes me think rather than the Pilgrim and Indian story, as we cast about for something, there\u2019s little better than the dream of Exodus. Totally a-historical as best I can tell. Archetypal villains with the Egyptians, and then a great escape. All celebrated at a meal. Yes, there are problems. <\/p>\n
But, the bottom line part of it, that \u201cthey tried to kill us,\u201d the reality of life, always at the edge, \u201cWe survived\u201d we are here, we are breathing, and if we are lucky, we\u2019re with people we love, and then that big thing, \u201cLet\u2019s eat!\u201d one of the great joys of human life.<\/p>\n
Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n
Passover.<\/p>\n
The great mix up. A little laughter. Some tears. <\/p>\n
The great noticing. They tried to kill us. We survived. Let\u2019s eat.<\/p>\n
Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n