November 26, 2003 -
HayPatch, UT - In the spirit of Thanksgiving, several
ghost turkeys came knocking recently. One was of Thanksgiving past,
one of Thanksgiving present, and still another of Thanksgiving future.
Each came to remind us to be thankful for today, our many blessings and
those we love and those who love us.
Turkey-past showed us of our childhood home, filled
with all of the scents present during that time...roasting turkey,
stuffing, yams and rolls; sweetly scented wax figurines of pilgrims and
Indians; freshly starched table linens; and Great-Aunt Mable. Dear
familiar faces, long since past, met us with open arms, showed us how to
enjoy football on a Thursday and forgave us for whipping the pumpkin pie's
crowning touch into butter.
Turkey-present showed us of snow covered homes, with plenty of room and
heat to keep us warm, an abundance of nourishing foods and a day filled
with love in our hearts and extended families gathered around the giant
bird.
Turkey-future, always ripe for spinning a yarn, showed us our future --
long, long into the future. All of the scents were there as in
turkey-past's presentation. In attendance at the warm gathering were some
vaguely familiar faces. (Apparently, the passing years have treated some
more kindly than others.) Yet, most in attendance were unknown to us.
Maybe we had stopped at the wrong gathering?! A man at one end of
the table begins to speak. He mentions many things for which he is
thankful, mentions those who are in attendance and then, gesturing toward
the wall of the room, he thanks those who came before him. Curious, we
look to the wall of the dining room at which he pointed. It is filled with
photographs. They are a little faded, a little dusty. As we peer closer at
these two dimensional attendees, we see many familiar faces, including our
own.
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