Giving Thanks

I give thanks for every day of life.  May we all be granted the awareness to never take that gift for granted.

I give thanks for men and women who have moved me to tears and mountaintops of emotion through their acts of commitment and the fire of their devotion to what is right.  May we all be granted such inspiration.

I give thanks for those unique attributes that make us human -- the ability to reason beyond base needs for sustenance and survival; the capacity to act courageously, especially when logic tells us not to; and the power to love with every fiber of our souls.  May we all proudly own our humanity.

I give thanks for the wondrous engine of the universe and every accidental collision of molecules that created stars, rivers and mountains, and every form of life from the moss to the sequoia and the whale to bacteria.  May we learn to be better stewards of our planet.

I give thanks for the opportunity to forgive those who have wronged me; I especially give thanks for the chance to, despite my best efforts, forgive myself for my mistakes.  May each of us be granted the gift of such forgiveness.

I give thanks that every day life provides me the chance to be a better person and to help others to do good.  May we never rest until all slaves are set free, all hungry are fed, and all lost find a path.

I am thankful for young people, who through their innocence and fearless curiosity have been my best teachers.  May everyone have children like my own who every day show us the reality of eternal life.

So, to dear friends and caring relatives; to Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Michael Servetus, Norbert Capek, and Theodore Parker; to past, present, and future congregants; to Mom and Dad; to Ashley and Tyler...Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving.