It was a few years ago as friends and family gathered in typical fashion for a day of fellowship and food. Gender groups were gathered in their time-worn sections of the house; the men were near the television and snack table while the women were coming and going through the kitchen doors and checking on the kids who were upstairs sharing secrets, or were outside playing basketball in the driveway.
The hum of activity and conversation was in full swing when the three-word announcement, “Okay, it’s ready!” caused a thundering of feet from all quarters as twenty people gathered around the dining room table. It was a familiar and enjoyable moment as a hungry group of beloved people prepared for a serious moment of thanks before partaking of the diverse spread of food laid out before us.
As was customary, a person was asked to lead us all in a prayer of thanks before we sat down. This year, it was my turn, causing a bit of pre-prayer nervousness on my part. Everyone was silent as I asked if anyone had something to be thankful for this year. The quiet became deafening as nineteen pairs of eyes looked down at their plates, hoping I would not call on any of them to speak. I let the quiet continue until an outspoken aunt shared that she was grateful for the health of her family. Someone else said they were thankful for their children while another spoke of being thankful they lived in a free country.
