Thanksgiving

Family gathered in Outer Banks. Good food, good spirits.

Sabbath #25

It is necessary this morning to take a deep breath. The red maple in the front yard has lost all its top leaves. The gardenia bush in the backyard has small white flowers blooming abundantly. The season of Thanksgiving,today. I need to slow down. Awake at five this morning unnecessarily, waiting for the sun to rise,waiting for the day to take hold rather than allowing it to unfold. I am quick to judge, feeling the busyness of a full day, a full week. The need for order, organization. Can I stop myself? Yesterday was the last day to catch crabs. The blue enamel steamer is full to the brim. Old bay and onions. The evening, far away. I must read a few lines by Woolf. Traveling back and forth across the bay to work, then home again In my lovely study, my books behind me. I’ve restarted my book once again. The crabs won’t be cooked until after eight tonight. Miriam has lost two of her brothers since July, both parents. Last week this time we were in California caring for our little ones. Yes,it is necessary to take a breath. Be easy with myself and others. Let the day unfold, the week unfold. Walk to the creek at sunset. Steam the crabs. Let the house be overtaken with the scent. It is the last of one season, the beginning of another.

Sabbath # 24

The week ahead: a full moon and travel to the “other shore.” Constantly traveling, making pilgrimages from one place to another. Breathe in, Breathe out. Smile. This morning I read, faith evolves every day. This past week I looked deeply into my son’s eyes, held his embrace long after we departed. I could hear the ocean from my bedroom. Yesterday, I listened intently to my daughter’s voice over the distance. The circle widens with newness. “The other shore is this very shore.” I cut the apple in sections, left on the skin. In a minute I will walk down the street and join my husband who left the house earlier. We are surrounded by water. We move from shore to shore. First this place, then this place. Pass over, pass under. “The other shore is this very shore.” Can I remember?