by Lilly Mantra

Created on: May 21, 2008   Last Updated: May 28, 2008

It was Thanksgiving of 2007 and the delicious smells of candied yams, succulent roasted duck, and buttered dinner rolls permeated throughout the dining room. The Thanksgiving table cloth beamed with colors of deep reds, warm oranges, and festive yellows. Tall, lean candles burned brightly and elegantly arranged floral pieces graced both ends of our table. This was a feast that our family had been preparing for over two weeks and the sight before us was one that we all took a moment to marvel and enjoy. The picturesque setting made for a wonderful time to celebrate the joys of family and life, food and togetherness.

The family members attending this formal dinner were dressed in their Sunday best. The men all looked businesslike, in their suits or sport coats, and the women wore only their finest jewelry and riches perfumes. Typically, our family had engaged in less formal holiday celebrations over the years. This year, however, was a special one. Two members of our family had recently announced engagements, three children were born, and two members of the family had received honors within their educational studies. In addition, there had been a job promotion, a move, and a graduation within the family in the past year. Everyone was blissfully happy within their homes and life paths, which made it ample reason for us all to enjoy an extra-special holiday on this particular year. Each person within their own right had made tremendous strides within the past year, and each person had ample reasons to give thanks and gratitude to God.

It was family tradition for my mother-in-law to say a Thanksgiving prayer. Each year, she would put several hours pouring over what she should say that would not only take notice of family accomplishments, but also seek to inspire the loved ones that surrounded her. She would typically use index cards to write out the guidelines for her prayer, and practice reciting it for days before the actual feast. This Thanksgiving was no different. She had placed an inordinate amount of time, attention, and care into planning her prayer so that everyone would be guided into a state of reflection, appreciation, and genuine thankfulness prior to enjoying the carefully prepared feast that lay before us. Each year, our family greatly looked forward to this special prayer. As an a retired English teacher, my mother in-law had a way with words, and the innate ability to capture our attention, and enlighten our lives.

The eighteen members of our

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• Next Page >>