As people gather and prepare meals and give thanks, we hold the complexity of this Thanksgiving/Thanksgrieving holiday. Acknowledging the harm done by white settlers to the Haudenosaunee and the inequities that Indigenous people all over the country still face, we grieve. On this holiday that was created by Congress and then ‘made a holiday’ by various Presidents, as we look at the mess our nation is in today, we grieve. For those of us without family, who can’t go home, or have no one who will be ‘coming home’, for those of us who are lonely, without shelter, or enough food, we grieve.

And mixed in with all of that, this congregation is learning more about the histories and legacies of the culture of white supremacy and its impacts, for which we are grateful. Admitting we have a problem is the first step in recovery, i.e. dismantling racism. Many of us are (or are getting) involved in the community to ensure folks get out and vote, for which we are grateful. Participation, i.e. raising our voices, is the first element for a successful democracy. Several folks at UUSS participate in programs to provide shelter through Family Promise, Joseph’s House, Better Neighborhoods, Inc, Northern Rivers, and other organizations. Our youth will be assembling boxes for the Equinox Thanksgiving meals and several adults will spend loads of hours coordinating the creation and distribution of 10k meals! Some of you are opening your homes this weekend to family and friends and friends of friends for food, crafts, fun, or simply being with one another. An antidote to loneliness can be to gather together. For this we are grateful. The first ingredient of Thanks-giving is to know we matter.

And often, people need to be told, specifically, how and why we matter. So reach out to some folks this week and let them know-maybe in a card; a drawing; an email; a text message; a phone call; a post on social-media; or speaking the words of gratitude over a meal, during a football game, traveling to your holiday destination, or going on an outdoor adventure. Tell them why they matter in your life. Express your thankfulness.

As we shared in worship on Sunday, “Sometimes we need to be reminded that gratitude isn’t about what we have, or what we get, especially at this shopping frenzy time of year… Gratitude is a quality… a practice…. a perspective. Gratitude is often a choice we can make. Hope is like gratitude’s cousin….it isn’t defined by what is happening… but by our perspectives and our actions. We can choose to lean toward hope… revolutionary hope, active hope.”

Here’s hoping you have a lovely Thanksgiving, whether you choose to spend it alone or with others.

Many blessings!

Rev. Wendy and Rev. Lynn