“Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”–Melody Beattie

The month of November holds many special days for me, my own birthday and wedding anniversary which are two weeks apart, our son’s birthday, as well as a son-in-law’s. Along with these “personal” celebrations we add in Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving Day. Scattered throughout the month are countless special days for others. No matter the significance of each event in November, they are all blanketed under an umbrella of “gratitude”. At least, that’s how November is being marketed to us now…midst football games, turkey dinners, Christmas decorations and advertising crowding out everything else before the turkey has even been put in the oven or deep fryer!

I was thinking about Veteran’s Day which we observed last week and the anticipation of Thanksgiving as we check off each day from our calendar leading up to Nov. 23. My mind drifted back to remembering the devastation that occurred in our country on Sept. 11. We all witnessed a flurry of patriotism. Churches saw an increase in attendance, although now those numbers have dwindled again. Most every coat lapel we saw on a TV personality bore a small American flag pin. Flag emblems now adorn most of the uniforms worn by major sporting teams. Many of us began taking a moment to acknowledge a Veteran or a first responder in our midst by giving a “thank you for your service”...I’ve done so myself and though I fear my words are trite, they remain my best. A sincere “thank you” is ample and satisfies my desire to express appreciation. Veteran’s Day also allows me to remember two favorite family stories….

My dad’s father–my Grandpa Jewell—had an elementary education. He was a hard worker who toiled sunup to sundown an 80 acre farm. To supplement income he used his skills with an ax to help clear trees on land in Northern Michigan. Gramp and Gramma raised 11 children during the depression and when World War II drew America into the efforts, my dad and four of his brothers all served in various branches of our military. Fast forward to the end of the war, dad and his brothers came home, married and began civilian life in their respective careers. Grandpa got a letter from the government stating he owed back taxes on the farm. Using his elementary age writing skills and sharp retorts, he wrote back….”you’re telling me I owe $?. Well, you took five of my boys to fight in your war. You didn’t ask me if you could have ‘em’…I think I paid enough.” Family lore told us this story and to this day I believe it and I also know (according to family) Grandpa never heard from the government office again.

One of those five boys, my Uncle Lyle, served in the Air Force as a career which spanned World War II, Viet Nam and final duty assignments in Hawaii before retiring to California. On one of their trips back to Michigan, he and my aunt stopped at a small motel for the night. Before going to bed, Lyle went outside for a walk and noticed a beautiful Harley Davison parked for the evening. As he walked a slow circle  around the bike, admiring it,  he was interrupted and when lifting  his head to find where a big voice was coming from, he was quite startled by the size of the person who clearly was the owner of the bike.

In a rather burly angry tone my uncle was greeted with “what do you think you’re doin!”

“I’m admiring your bike”.

By now the guy had seen the cap Lyle was wearing, one of many he owned. This one bore the P-51B Mustang insignia. “I suppose you’re gonna tell me you fought in World War II”.

“Yes”, I did.

“I suppose you’re gonna tell me you rode in one of those planes”.

“Yes, I did. But, I didn’t only ride in the plane, I was the pilot”.

Following a very brief moment of silence…Lyle thought to himself “what have I gotten myself into here. This guy is huge and he’s probably gonna do something that causes pain”.

Their silence was broken with the bike’s owner extending his hand to shake Lyle’s, creating a bridge between a Harley owner and a retired pilot. In their travels, both had seen a lot of beauty and their fair share of tragedies, too, that my imagination can only try to comprehend and yet not embrace in totality.  “I just wanna thank ya man. Because of you and your service, I have the freedom to ride my bike wherever I want.”

My dad, my uncles, are all gone from our family now. As I read through the quote I used at the top of this article, focusing on the phrase how gratitude can make sense of our past…bring peace…create vision for tomorrow…I’m left with a large measure of assurance how memories and “stories” from my family have helped mold me into the person that I am today. 

Last weekend I had the privilege of thanking a very mature Veteran for his service. He, too, was wearing a cap that proudly bore the insignia for his military branch. Those caps remind these ole guys–and women–of a past filled with heartache and triumph. They are worn very proudly and when I see someone wearing one, I seldom hesitate to take a moment to say “thank you”.

As we approach Thanksgiving Day there will be a lot of preparation for a big meal. Maybe there will be travel arrangements, plans to relax in front TVs to watch the “big game” or indulge in silly movies. How we celebrate this day is by personal choice. My only hope is that more of us will truly pause…allow silence to fall on our tables like a soft rain…and from hearts of humility and gratitude utter a sincere “thank you”….not to nature, not to the universe, not to luck….but to the One Who gives only good gifts from above. If you’ve never prayed before, here’s a little help from our country’s history, a prayer credited to the Pilgrims in the early 1600’s.

“O Lord our God and heavenly Father, which of Thy unspeakable mercy towards us, hast provided meate and drinke for the nourishment of our weake bodies. Grant us peace to use them reverently, as from Thy hands, with thankful hearts: let Thy blessing rest upon these Thy good creatures, to our comfort and sustentation: and grant we humbly beseech Thee, good Lord, that as we doe hunger and thirst for this food of our bodies, so our soules may earnestly long after the food of eternal life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, Amen”