One of the reasons that early Friends tried to abolish the celebration of holidays was because they believed that every day was a holy day: we shouldn’t need a special Thanksgiving Day because we are giving thanks every day.
Quaker songwriter Jon Watts wrote a blog post titled, “We Don’t Need A Holiday To Give Thanks!” In it he asks:
What if we didn’t need Thanksgiving to remind us to be thankful? What if our gratefulness exuded from us every time we walked out the door, greeted a friend or a stranger, took a breath?
Life on this beautiful planet is a gift I feel profound gratitude for. Every day, we receive food, water, air, and beauty from the natural world. As a progressive thinker, I am convinced that the gifts of nature are for everyone, and that we have plenty to go around. I refuse to accept a scarcity mindset and all the phobias and conspiracies that go with it.
When I remember that Truth, my fears and my worries are soothed; I have renewed energy for the work of earthcare, justice and equity. Let’s take what we’ve been given and make it work for the benefit of all!
I want to celebrate the abundance that is around me all the time, because, as Jon Watts says:
“…every moment of this life is such a privilege. And because my life and my impact on those around me is better when I know that.”
Elephant Journal has suggestions for 5 Ways to Thank the Earth on Thanksgiving Day & Any Day.
And Harper-Collins lists 7 Ways to Say Thank You to the Earth.
