Thanksgiving

 

Happy Thanksgivukkah!

The holiday season is upon us. For those in the U.S., today is Thanksgiving. For our Jewish brothers and sisters, it’s the beginning of Hanukkah. For many Christians, tomorrow the Christmas season begins.

It seems that regardless of our faith or nationality, this time of a year is a time when most people are in the mindset of wanting to slow down (even as things get hectic!) and count blessings and share gifts and open hearts…to reflect on the good in life and to try to share a little of that with others.

President Monson’s talk, The Divine Gift of Gratitude, is a great talk to review on this day.

We are also grateful to Susan Noyes Anderson for being willing to share some of her harvest and gratitude poetry with us to celebrate this special time of year. While her poetry is written with a Christian/LDS audience in mind, we hope those not of our faith traditions (or not living in the northern hemisphere where the harvest season just ended!) can still enjoy the messages of her poetry.

I love how the poetry also connects to the beautiful message of the video we shared yesterday: Giving Thanks isn’t a Holiday.

(See more of Susan Noyes Anderson’s holiday poetry.)

Harvest Gifts: I love how this poem not only celebrates the principles found in the harvest season, but also celebrates the wisdom of ages past, and points the reader’s mind toward the future when we someday meet our God.

This poem also reflects on the principles that can be learned from the cycle of the harvest: To Every Thing there is a Season

Thanks be to God: A beautiful reflection on how all that life brings is part of God’s wise plan for our growth and progress.

In Every Thing Give Thanks: A poem that reminds us of the power of faith in God even when times are difficult

How Excellent is Thy Name: This poem is a prayerful piece, taking from the text of Psalms 8:1-9. It would be a beautiful one to read with family members while asking them what they are grateful for.