My WORK is LOVING the WORLD — Mary Oliver

My work is loving the world.
Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird –

equal seekers of sweetness. Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums.

Here the clam deep in the speckled sand.

Are my boots old? Is my coat torn?
Am I no longer young and
still not half-perfect?
Let me keep my mind on what matters,
which is my work, which is mostly
standing still and learning to be astonished.

The phoebe, the delphinium.
The sheep in the pasture, and the pasture.

Which is mostly rejoicing,
since all ingredients are here,

Which is gratitude, to be given a mind
and a heart and these body-clothes,

a mouth with which to give shouts of joy
to the moth and the wren,
to the sleepy dug-up clam,

telling them all, over and over, how it is
that we live forever.

Not for victory,
but for the day’s work done
as well as I was able;
not for a seat upon the dais
but at the common table.
— Charles Reznikoff, excerpt from poem: Te Deum

SONGS about THANKS:

• Thank You by Kehlani (pop): https://youtu.be/xFNVazX97wo?si=Meb_pr8bna00pTOM
• Thank You by Sly & The Family Stone (rock): https://youtu.be/NOa5UOHdwnc
• Thankful by DJ Khaled ft Lil Wayne/Jeremih  (gospel/pop/rap): https://youtu.be/IYVSEFMRR8Y?si=zp_4L3z6VjHBwaUX
• Gracias by Ozuna (latinx / pop): https://youtu.be/5K5R620Xq3k?si=IXAUsi444jV-A3qY
• Thank You by Keith Urban (country): https://youtu.be/nO0sQOwwydQ?si=mHEHotpjhTPcEaPO
• Thankfuyl by Cleine Dion (pop): https://youtu.be/snDcxiePeg4?si=myhuyZOGNmuu-meB
• Thank You for Being a Friend by Andrew Gold (pop): https://youtu.be/voNEgCKzves
• Gracias a la Vida by Violeta Parra (Chilean folk): https://youtu.be/w67-hlaUSIs?si=EdiOcnQbU-6r3b2J
• Gratitude by Earth, Wind & Fire (rock): https://youtu.be/9nKTWkiWMHE?si=2jdYba149GMudXRG
• Thank You Song by FKA Twigs (pop): https://youtu.be/hYBEeJzxS5Q?si=wJ5c1wPOnpREco_T
• In My Life by the Beatles (rock): https://youtu.be/YBcdt6DsLQA
• Give Thanks & Praises by Bob Marley (reggae): https://youtu.be/3TK34aQwC7Q
• Thank God I Found You by Mariah Carey (rock/pop): https://youtu.be/7KVxjQUCyn0
• Be Thankful by Natalie Cole (rock): https://youtu.be/6eLwhlxcJy8
• Kind and Generous by Natalie Merchant (pop): https://youtu.be/uAwyIad93-c
• Thank You by Dido (pop ballad): https://youtu.be/1TO48Cnl66w
• Grateful by Hezekiah Walker (Christian Gospel): https://youtu.be/yE0W-kQyz6A
• Thank God for You by Sawyer Brown (country/folk): https://youtu.be/nSDt_v2K_dY
• Thank You by Alanis Morissette (pop): https://youtu.be/OOgpT5rEKIU
• Thank You for Loving Me by Jon Bon Jovi (rock ballad): https://youtu.be/_9wKi1keg8g

INFO about THANKSGIVING

• FACTS & INFO from History.com: https://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving/history-of-thanksgiving

BLESSINGS for the TABLE

FEASTING — John O’Donohue
As we begin this meal with grace,
Let us become aware of the memory
Carried inside the food before us:
The quiver of the seed
Awakening in the earth,
Unfolding in a trust of roots
And slender stems of growth,
On its voyage toward harvest,
The kiss of rain and surge of sun;
The innocence of animal soul
That never spoke a word,
Nourished by the earth
To become today our food;
The work of all the strangers
Whose hands prepared it,
The privilege of wealth and health
That enables us to feast and celebrate.

BLESSING the BREAD, the CUP — Jan Richardson
Let us bless the bread
that gives itself to us
with its terrible weight,
its infinite grace.

Let us bless the cup
poured out for us
with a love
that makes us anew.

Let us gather
around these gifts
simply given
and deeply blessed.

And then let us go
bearing the bread,
carrying the cup,
laying the table
within a hungering world.

No matter how you say it, grace can transform an ordinary meal into a celebration—of family, love, and gratitude. … So now someone at our holiday tables always ends up saying grace. I think we’re in it for the pause, the quiet thanks for love and for our blessings, before the shoveling begins. For a minute, our stations are tuned to a broader, richer radius. We’re acknowledging that this food didn’t just magically appear: Someone grew it, ground it, bought it, baked it; wow.
We say thank you for the miracle that we have stuck together all these years, in spite of it all; that we have each other’s backs, and hilarious companionship. We say thank you for the plentiful and outrageous food … We pray to be mindful of the needs of others. We savor these moments out of time, when we are conscious of love’s presence, of Someone’s great abiding generosity to our dear and motley family, these holy moments of gratitude. And that is grace. — Anne Lamott, Help, Thanks, Wow

WORDS & RESOURCES for WHEN WE FEAST
ALONE or IN SMALL NUMBERS: REMEMBERING

Video resource shared by a bereaved community member for people about getting through the holidays: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GYnT8rr3VM

COMMENTARIES FROM FIRST PEOPLES’ PERSPECTIVES

The United American Indians of New England meet each year at Plymouth Rock on Cole’s Hill for a Day of Mourning. They gather at the feet of a statue of Grand Sachem Massasoit of the Wampanoag to remember and reflect in the hope that America will never forget. — Dennis Zotigh

…. we can’t keep perpetuating the old myths. Let’s instead honor the truth, reclaim it and transform it with the light of our understanding. As we celebrate Thanksgiving in the US we are reminded like Terra Trevor said on the Huffington Post: “the ‘Thanksgiving’ holiday was coined and continues to be celebrated based on a story that does not include factual Native American history.. It serves as a period of remembering how a gift of generosity was rewarded by theft of land and seed corn, extermination of many Native people from disease, and near total elimination of many more from forced assimilation. As celebrated in America ‘Thanksgiving’ is a reminder of 500 years of betrayal.” She continues: “I’m within the assemblage of American Indians whose family and Native friends celebrates Thanksgiving. But our focus is not on pilgrims. …. “Our celebration is deep-rooted in the simple tradition of honoring, remembering our ancestors, our history, with a focus on celebrating the harvest. We feast and pray for the healing to begin…” …  Wes Annac [said] … “We wish to talk to you about the holiday that many know as Thanksgiving. This is a holiday that is being celebrated in the United States, and we wish you to know that yes, it does have a very dark history. … “So as you go about your celebrations, we ask you to honor the spirits of those who had their lands forcefully taken away from them, and at the same time dear souls we ask you to honor, we ask you to appreciate the bounty that you are being blessed with on these holidays. … I am grateful to all of you for opening you hearts, for your sisterhood and brotherhood. Our circle of connection is palpable and we are building bridges of light as we join hearts across space and time…. — Mijanou Montealegre (excerpt of post)

I celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving.This may surprise those people who wonder what Native Americans think of this official U.S. celebration of the survival of early arrivals in a European invasion that culminated in the death of 10 to 30 million native people. Thanksgiving to me has never been about Pilgrims…. As a child of a Native American family, you are part of a very select group of survivors, and I learned that my family possessed some “inside” knowledge of what really happened when those poor, tired masses came to our homes.
When the Pilgrims came to Plymouth Rock, they were poor and hungry — half of them died within a few months from disease and hunger. When Squanto, a Wampanoag man, found them, they were in a pitiful state. He spoke English, having traveled to Europe, and took pity on them. Their English crops had failed. The native people fed them through the winter and taught them how to grow their food.These were not merely “friendly Indians.” They had already experienced European slave traders raiding their villages for a hundred years or so, and they were wary — but it was their way to give freely to those who had nothing.
Among many of our peoples, showing that you can give without holding back is the way to earn respect. …. It was believed that by giving there would be enough for all  …
To the Pilgrims, and most English and European peoples, the Wampanoags were heathens, and of the Devil. They saw Squanto not as an equal but as an instrument of their God to help his chosen people, themselves.
Since that initial sharing, Native American food has spread around the world. Nearly 70 percent of all crops grown today were originally cultivated by Native American peoples. I sometimes wonder what they ate in Europe before they met us. Spaghetti without tomatoes? Meat and potatoes without potatoes?
And at the “first Thanksgiving” the Wampanoags provided most of the food — and signed a treaty granting Pilgrims the right to the land at Plymouth, the real reason for the first Thanksgiving. What did the Europeans give in return? Within 20 years European disease and treachery had decimated the Wampanoags. Most diseases then came from animals that Europeans had domesticated. Cowpox from cows led to smallpox, one of the great killers of our people, spread through gifts of blankets used by infected Europeans. Some estimate that diseases accounted for a death toll reaching 90 percent in some Native American communities.
By 1623, Mather the elder, a Pilgrim leader, was giving thanks to his God for destroying the heathen savages to make way “for a better growth,” meaning his people.In stories told by the Dakota people, an evil person always keeps his or her heart in a secret place separate from the body. The hero must find that secret place and destroy the heart in order to stop the evil.I see, in the “First Thanksgiving” story, a hidden Pilgrim heart.
The story of that heart is the real tale than needs to be told. What did it hold? Bigotry, hatred, greed, self-righteousness? We have seen the evil that it caused in the 350 years since. Genocide, environmental devastation, poverty, world wars, racism.
  Where is the hero who will destroy that heart of evil? I believe it must be each of us. Indeed, when I give thanks this Thursday and I cook my native food, I will be thinking of this hidden heart and how my ancestors survived the evil it caused.
Because if we can survive, with our ability to share and to give intact, then the evil and the good will that met that Thanksgiving day in the land of the Wampanoag will have come full circle. And the healing can begin.— Jacqueline Keeler,  member of the Dineh Nation and the Yankton Dakota Sioux.

Each November in America we celebrate the harvest festival of Thanksgiving. Over the years, much lore has evolved surrounding early Thanksgivings and feelings of brotherhood and good will between pilgrim settlers and the Native inhabitants of North America. Sadly, most of these stories are inaccurate at best, and serve to ignore or gloss over a broad history of atrocities. In our hearts, we cannot celebrate Thanksgiving Day in the way revisionist history teaches our school children. We still feel the pain and suffering of our ancestors as the Pilgrims celebrated their thanksgivings by theft of our lands and the genocide of our peoples.
Still, Native Americans are grateful for all that nature provides, and many of us celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday in our own ways. Moreover, we give thanks every day as we greet the morning star in the eastern sky giving thanks to the Creator, our families, our ancestors and our survival.
We wish you and your families a happy holiday, and hope you are able to set images of pilgrims aside and join in gratitude for the bounty the living earth provides us. In that spirit, let us share with you the words of “Thankgiving” from our Mohawk relatives in belief that one day there will truly be a Thanksgiving for all. — ohnwentsya, Spirit in Action blog journal

Haudenosaunee “Thanksgiving” Prayer

The People
Today we have gathered and we see that the cycles of life continue. We have been given the duty to live in balance and harmony with each other and all living things. So now, we bring our minds together as one as we give greetings and thanks to each other as people.

Now our minds are one.

The Earth Mother
We are all thankful to our Mother, the Earth, for she gives us all that we need for life. She supports our feet as we walk about upon her. It gives us joy that she continues to care for us as she has from the beginning of time. To our mother, we send greetings and thanks.

Now our minds are one.

The Waters
We give thanks to all the waters of the world for quenching our thirst and providing us with strength. Water is life. We know its power in many forms-waterfalls and rain, mists and streams, rivers and oceans. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the spirit of Water.

Now our minds are one.

The Fish
We turn our minds to the all the Fish life in the water. They were instructed to cleanse and purify the water. They also give themselves to us as food. We are grateful that we can still find pure water. So, we turn now to the Fish and send our greetings and thanks.

Now our minds are one.

The Plants
Now we turn toward the vast fields of Plant life. As far as the eye can see, the Plants grow, working many wonders. They sustain many life forms. With our minds gathered together, we give thanks and look forward to seeing Plant life for many generations to come.

Now our minds are one.

The Food Plants
With one mind, we turn to honor and thank all the Food Plants we harvest from the garden. Since the beginning of time, the grains, vegetables, beans and berries have helped the people survive. Many other living things draw strength from them too. We gather all the Plant Foods together as one and send them a greeting of thanks.

Now our minds are one.

The Medicine Herbs
Now we turn to all the Medicine herbs of the world. From the beginning they were instructed to take away sickness. They are always waiting and ready to heal us. We are happy there are still among us those special few who remember how to use these plants for healing. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the Medicines and to the keepers of the Medicines.

Now our minds are one.

The Animals
We gather our minds together to send greetings and thanks to all the Animal life in the world. They have many things to teach us as people. We are honored by them when they give up their lives so we may use their bodies as food for our people. We see them near our homes and in the deep forests. We are glad they are still here and we hope that it will always be so.
Now our minds are one.

The Trees
We now turn our thoughts to the Trees. The Earth has many families of Trees who have their own instructions and uses. Some provide us with shelter and shade, others with fruit, beauty and other useful things. Many people of the world use a Tree as a symbol of peace and strength. With one mind, we greet and thank the Tree life.

Now our minds are one.

The Birds
We put our minds together as one and thank all the Birds who move and fly about over our heads. The Creator gave them beautiful songs. Each day they remind us to enjoy and appreciate life. The Eagle was chosen to be their leader. To all the Birds-from the smallest to the largest-we send our joyful greetings and thanks.

Now our minds are one.

The Four Winds
We are all thankful to the powers we know as the Four Winds. We hear their voices in the moving air as they refresh us and purify the air we breathe. They help us to bring the change of seasons. From the four directions they come, bringing us messages and giving us strength. With one mind, we send our greetings and thanks to the Four Winds.

Now our minds are one.

The Thunderers
Now we turn to the west where our grandfathers, the Thunder Beings, live. With lightning and thundering voices, they bring with them the water that renews life. We are thankful that they keep those evil things made by Okwiseres underground. We bring our minds together as one to send greetings and thanks to our Grandfathers, the Thunderers.

Now our minds are one.

The Sun
We now send greetings and thanks to our eldest Brother, the Sun. Each day without fail he travels the sky from east to west, bringing the light of a new day. He is the source of all the fires of life. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to our Brother, the Sun.

Now our minds are one.

Grandmother Moon
We put our minds together to give thanks to our oldest Grandmother, the Moon, who lights the night-time sky. She is the leader of woman all over the world, and she governs the movement of the ocean tides. By her changing face we measure time, and it is the Moon who watches over the arrival of children here on Earth. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to our Grandmother, the Moon.

Now our minds are one.

The Stars
We give thanks to the Stars who are spread across the sky like jewelry. We see them in the night, helping the Moon to light the darkness and bringing dew to the gardens and growing things. When we travel at night, they guide us home. With our minds gathered together as one, we send greetings and thanks to the Stars.

Now our minds are one.

The Enlightened Teachers
We gather our minds to greet and thank the enlightened Teachers who have come to help throughout the ages. When we forget how to live in harmony, they remind us of the way we were instructed to live as people. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to these caring teachers.

Now our minds are one.

The Creator
Now we turn our thoughts to the creator, or Great Spirit, and send greetings and thanks for all the gifts of Creation. Everything we need to live a good life is here on this Mother Earth. For all the love that is still around us, we gather our minds together as one and send our choicest words of greetings and thanks to the Creator.

Now our minds are one.

Closing Words
We have now arrived at the place where we end our words. Of all the things we have named, it was not our intention to leave anything out. If something was forgotten, we leave it to each individual to send such greetings and thanks in their own way.

Now our minds are one