After I got done posting the piece on the Thanks-Giving Square, and recalling my favorite Thanksgiving memory, I decided to call my mom to ask her to read to me a few of the blessings we used to pick at random from the bowl to read before our Thanksgiving dinner. She still had the pieces of folded up paper in her dining room hutch, and she knew right where they were when I asked her to read them to me.
I figured that I don't just want to remember that they were prayers and blessings from "around the world." I want to actually remember what they said. And I want to share them with my readers, too.
So here are a few of my favorites. There are still others that mom said she'd type up and send. I thought it was interesting that one of my favorite ones reflected quite eloquently what I was trying to do with my meme in the previous post.
Here you go:
Abundance and lack exist simultaneously in our lives as parallel realities.
It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend.
When we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives
but are grateful for the abundance that is present:
love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature
and personal pursuits that bring us pleasure,
the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth.
--S.B.B. (Sarah Ban Breathnach)
Gaelic blessing
Deep peace of the running wave to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the shining star to you.
Deep peace of the son of peace to you.
Amen.
It isn't the big pleasures that count the most.
It's making a great deal out of the little ones.
-- Jean Webster
Pawnee Prayer
Earth our mother, breathe forth life.
All night sleeping, now awaking in the East.
Now see the dawn.
Earth our mother, breathe and waken.
Leaves are stirring; all things moving.
New day coming; life renewing.
Ancient Hindu Blessing
The ritual is one.
The food is one.
We who offer the food are one.
The fire of hunger is also one.
All action is one.
We who understand this are one.
An African Grace
The bread is pure and fresh.
The water is cool and clear.
Lord of all life be with us.
Lord of all life be near.
Gratitude is not only the memory, but the homage of the heart rendered to God for His goodness.
--N.P. Wells
There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy.
By being happy we sow anonymous benefits upon the world.
--Robert Louis Stevenson
Turkeys come and turkeys go, and trimmings only trim, we know.
But we're together. That's what matters.
Not what's put upon our platters.
--Grandmother Tappleton (from the children's story: Thanksgiving at the Tappletons')
I figured that I don't just want to remember that they were prayers and blessings from "around the world." I want to actually remember what they said. And I want to share them with my readers, too.
So here are a few of my favorites. There are still others that mom said she'd type up and send. I thought it was interesting that one of my favorite ones reflected quite eloquently what I was trying to do with my meme in the previous post.
Here you go:
Abundance and lack exist simultaneously in our lives as parallel realities.
It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend.
When we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives
but are grateful for the abundance that is present:
love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature
and personal pursuits that bring us pleasure,
the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth.
--S.B.B. (Sarah Ban Breathnach)
Gaelic blessing
Deep peace of the running wave to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the shining star to you.
Deep peace of the son of peace to you.
Amen.
It isn't the big pleasures that count the most.
It's making a great deal out of the little ones.
-- Jean Webster
Pawnee Prayer
Earth our mother, breathe forth life.
All night sleeping, now awaking in the East.
Now see the dawn.
Earth our mother, breathe and waken.
Leaves are stirring; all things moving.
New day coming; life renewing.
Ancient Hindu Blessing
The ritual is one.
The food is one.
We who offer the food are one.
The fire of hunger is also one.
All action is one.
We who understand this are one.
An African Grace
The bread is pure and fresh.
The water is cool and clear.
Lord of all life be with us.
Lord of all life be near.
Gratitude is not only the memory, but the homage of the heart rendered to God for His goodness.
--N.P. Wells
There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy.
By being happy we sow anonymous benefits upon the world.
--Robert Louis Stevenson
Turkeys come and turkeys go, and trimmings only trim, we know.
But we're together. That's what matters.
Not what's put upon our platters.
--Grandmother Tappleton (from the children's story: Thanksgiving at the Tappletons')
Unitarian Grace
The food which we are about to eat
is earth, water, sun, compounded through the alchemy of many plants.
Therefore, earth, water, and sun will become part of us.
The food is also the fruit of the labor of many beings and creatures.
We are grateful for it.
May it give us strength, health, joy, and may it increase our love.
The food which we are about to eat
is earth, water, sun, compounded through the alchemy of many plants.
Therefore, earth, water, and sun will become part of us.
The food is also the fruit of the labor of many beings and creatures.
We are grateful for it.
May it give us strength, health, joy, and may it increase our love.
P.S. Happy 43rd Anniversary to Ralph and Clare!
1 comment:
What a wonderful tradition. I believe we will start with this Thanksgivng to make this a tradition for our family. Thank you Nan and Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family and all who review this.
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