THANKSGIVING

This morning we went out our back door, through the old Royal Oak golf course, and along the trail behind Beaver Lake. Spectacular, stunning, awesome, and any other superlative that can be conjured up. Days don’t come any better than this fine fall day.

Being elderly, we sat on a park bench in the sun by the lake, and it being Thanksgiving weekend, we fell to discussing what we’re thankful for. Maybe on a rainy day we would feel differently, or if we were immersed in some trouble or other, but this morning we couldn’t think of anything not to be thankful for. Life is good. We are lucky. The sun is shining down upon us. The same, methinks, as the majority of people in this great country.

When we came home, I saw that war has flared up in Palestine. All out war, according to the Israeli PM. I guess folks in that region won’t be thinking such thankful thoughts today, especially the majority of the citizenry on both sides who only want to live in peace. Like we Canadians have for eighty years by now.

I could blather on for a long time about my own thanks list, but there are other people who can say things better than me. Thankfully. For instance, here’s a C.S. Lewis quote:

The sweetest thing in all my life has been the longing—to reach the Mountain, to find the place where all the beauty came from—my country, the place where I ought to have been born. Do you think it all meant nothing, all the longing? The longing for home? For indeed it feels not like going, but like going back.”

Ya. That’s a pretty good quote, I’d say. Wish I’d thought it up.

Another great quote comes from another great quote maker, the one and only Paul Simon. We should all be thankful for him. I saw him being interviewed by Howard Stern on youtube, actually segments of the interview. Toward the end of the interview, for his last question, Howard said this to Paul:

One last thing. You seem very wise. You’ve lived through everything, you’ve created great masterpieces. Is there a God? Because I need to know. I’m getting older. Is this it for me, I’m going to die and that’s it? Or am I going somewhere? Please answer it in a serious manner.

To which the mighty P. Simon said:

This is my feeling about God or Creator. The planet that I’m living on is so beautiful, and the universe is so awe inspiring…if that is the work of a Creator, I say: “Thanks so much. I really love your work on the universe. Coming from me, Paul Simon, to you. Really dig what you’re doing.” If it turns out that there’s another explanation for creation, I’m still unbelievably grateful for my existence. I still think it’s amazing. I don’t feel like, oh, I’ve been a fool, I thought it was God but really it’s something else. Doesn’t matter to me. I’m content with “I’m very grateful.” It’s an awe inspiring experience to be here and alive and that’s the end of it.”

That right there is the 2023 Thanksgiving quote of the year. I hope he gets a free turkey.

And I hope you all do too. Come to think, all the best things are free anyway.

Give thanks, everybody. Eat some turk. Hug a friend.

Happy Thanksgiving

Jim