Thanksgiving

The piercing cry of the loons
quickens my heartbeat.
Is there a distant kinship,
an understanding,
an unspoken empathy?


Thanksgiving is a time when one should, indeed, give thanks. For me, the one thing above all else that I am thankful for is that I was born in the United States in the 20th century. How could I have been so lucky? I see no apparent reason why I should not have been born in Iraq, or the Sudan, or as an American Indian tortured and killed by the Spanish when they first arrived in America, or even as a Jew persecuted by the Nazis. But I wasn’t and I don’t know why. But I am most grateful. I count my blessings.

I am also thankful for living where I do, in Boundary County, Idaho. It is beautiful here. There are no tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes, tidal waves, poisonous snakes, and only very rare days of below zero temperature. Winters are usually fairly mild and we mostly have long Indian summers. Spring and Fall are the best times here, but the Summers and Winters are not bad at all. It is a great place to raise children and is pretty much crime free. So, again, I am grateful and count my blessings.

I give thanks to the Great Mystery for taking care of me all these years, in spite of my foolishness and stupidity. I never thought I would live beyond, probably 37, but here I am already twice that and still going. I have a great wife and an absolutely wonderful handsome and intelligent son. I am a lucky man. Very lucky.

There is only one terrible problem with my life at the moment – the Bush/Cheney Administration, a gang of the most unprincipled war criminals the world has seen in a very long time. But in spite of their attempt to destroy our democracy and install a fascist state in its place I still have hope. After all, without hope what is there? I do not believe evil will be rewarded. If in this case it is, life is probably not worth living. Be of good cheer!