Thanksgiving Part II
The feast day began with paying homage to Nature. This is it should be, since each of us is a child of Nature, flesh and blood, born of the Earth, sustained by the sun, rain, the recurring force of Gaia’s productive effort. Is it not proper on this day to personify Nature’s dispassionate, life-giving benefit to us all? I believe it is.
I removed the last of the fallen leaves to the garden. The cellulose will break down providing carbon for the coming years growing season.
I thought of the Buddha statue that sits in the corner of the yard, overlooking the garden. The image of Buddha, the enlightened one, is impassive, giving lie to the ephemeral, surface ebb and flow of the political, the gain and loss of economics, our desire-driven conflict. A deeper Truth,–things are as they should be.
A few words about the celebratory meal at our place. There was a surplus of food and drink, all of extraordinary quality. 
We are blessed to be together in this room. Three generations were seated at the table. For the three grandparents present, a long road of life experience makes this interlude of food and conversation on this day poignant with meaning.
I especially loved the table seating name tags made for the occasion by 
Myles, and likely with some help from mom.
We did not discuss politics while together for our evening of celebration –not that we agreed to put aside political issues. I think that we all understood, that the state of things political are as they are, the result of cause and effect extending backwards into the past, from many years preceeding the last presidential election. Things are of necessity the outcome of past decisions, and of contingent circumstances. The past as well as the future is composed of hidden currents, inaccessible to reason. The best that one can do is be a mindful observer, and in the present care for one another as best as we can.
