11.25.2015

I AM HAPPY TO GIVE THANKS

By Gloria Dulan-Wilson

Hello All:

In less than one day from now, most of America will be sitting down at a bountiful table filled with all kinds of delicious goodies and concoctions, lovingly prepared by wives, mothers, grandmothers, girlfriends, and a few courageous guys who have developed mad cooking skills.

It's the annual tradition of Thanksgiving, and it is celebrated in at least 90% of the homes throughout the US. 

Of course, there are some who look upon it as the exploitation of the Original Americans by the Pilgrims, and others who eschew it by saying "I give thanks every day, I don't need a special day to be thankful."  Still others who see it as a commercial event; and since they don't want to be part of the "masses," they opt out of participating altogether.



I AM SO HAPPY TO GIVE THANKS TO YOU ALL! STAY BLESSED & ECLECTICALLY BLACK - GLORIA 

How sad for them.  In fact, how sad for anyone who views Thanksgiving from such a narrow, negative, jaundiced lens.  How sad to miss out on being with family and friends - and to participate in a ritual that opens up everyone to a chance to connect with each other in such a special way.

I've heard many pejoratives around Thanksgiving, as we become more and more desensitized to each other: "Turkey Day" and "Dysfunctional Family Day," are two that come to mind.  However, it more points up the fact that those who view it from that standpoint have become somewhat jaundiced.  Or that there are families that have been so caught up in the negative overlay of this society that they use what should be a peaceful, positive family gathering for airing hostilities (most of which is probably bogus to begin with), instead of being they even have a family to sit down and break bread with.

Thanksgiving or being Happy to Give Thanks, is a time when we step back and honor God, The Living Spirit Almighty, for all that He has done for us, in us, as us, through us, and through each other, over the year.  And though I say GOD, others may say Yahweh, Allah, Buddha, or any other name we hold for the Most High God.  Surely, by now we know and recognize that we didn't get here on this planet under our own steam.  And thought we came through someone, none of us would be here on this planet, had it not been for God, the First Cause. Our very breath is because he provided it for us.

So whether we millionaires, or currently financially embarrassed; whether we're highly successful, or still have out foot on the bottom rung of the ladder; whether we're Black, white, red, blue, green or yellow; African, African American, African Caribbean, African South American, African European or African Asian - we have much to be thankful for - apart from the tradition as it's practiced here in the US. And it's about time we began putting it into effect.

I don't care whether you roast a turkey or not, or if you do candied yams with marshmallows on top; or if you're rolling in collard greens and mountains of macaroni and cheese, or if you just sit down to the so-called vegan tofurky, it's not about that.  It's delicious, fun and wonderful to share, but it's not about that.

It really is about Giving Thanks for making us the most talented, resilient, creative, loving, intelligent, courageous, people on the planet.  It's about Giving Thanks that we continue to be so, in spite of and because of the trials and tribulations we have faced and withstood, despite the efforts of the meanstream media, and those who are hostile to us.  It's about the fact that we are coming closer and closer together and learning more about each other and ourselves, despite efforts to distort that information. It's about Giving Thanks for the love we share amongst us even when we're furious with each other for not being 100% of who we can and should be.

It's about Giving Thanks for some pretty powerful DNA, the kind that is not easily broken or destroyed or altered.  We are some awesome people.  And we've created some awesome offspring, who now have offspring of their own and carry forth all that we have taught and will teach them.

When you sit around the table on Thanks Giving and as each one of your family members says a blessing before carving the beejeebers to of that Turkey, hold hands, look around the table at each one of your loved ones and say GOD BLESS BLACK PEOPLE!   Thank you God for having chosen me be be one of them.  I don't take Being Black lightly."  And look at those beautiful faces around the table, reflecting every hue and flavor of chocolate to caramel to vanilla - all making up who we are and Give Thanks that we're moving forward.

Give Thanks that our Ancestor/Angels have paved the way for us and are watching over us, guiding, guarding, directing and protecting us as we pick up the baton and carry their mission forward.  

Give Thanks for each and every one of us - whether you know them or not on a personal level - and while you're giving thanks pray for a hedge of protect, due season prosperity, and love, honor, happiness, health and wealth for each and every Black person on this Day of Gratitude.  

Now, I don't want you to think that by blessing Black people, and Giving Thanks for being Black, that I mean that we curse or leave every other nationality and race out.  That's not the intention or the message.  It's interesting - but you can't pray for good things for yourself, and hate for others at the same time, without contaminating yourself.  Somehow, it has a boomerang effect; instant karma; a way of making you the bitter on the inside  (by the way, the same is true if it's a person you perceive as an enemy - you can dislike them, but the minute you start to hate them, it harms you more).  That does not mean that you come up with this pseudo long suffering, fake "sweetness"  attitude either.  You just don't pour any emotion into them from a negative standpoint - i.e., don't brood over them, focus on them, just bless them out of your life.  And Give Thanks that they're gone - not necessarily physically, but spiritually and mentally they are gone.  And Give Thanks for the strength, discipline, fortitude and courage you gained while dealing with their madness.

Nearly three years ago, I lost the love of my life, Lou Wilson, to a sudden heart attack - and I thought I'd never ever be happy again, ever.  I don't even remember Thanksgiving of 2013.  I was carrying a huge cloud over my head and in my heart.  It was like someone had flushed my world down the toilet.  Had it not been for my friendsAnnie Gee, Lisa, Marilyn K, Andrea, Cathy, Carol, Zach, Yahnick, Judy, Brandis and others; my children: Ki, Ra, Di, and Hugh IV; my friends at NACA - Ben, Darwin, Bruce, Debra; and, above all else, those wonderful sermons of Joel and Victoria Osteen, and that fantastic body of work by Israel Houghton (especially his song, "IT'S NOT OVER"), I would most likely not be sitting here writing this to you.  Not suicide folks - don't get it twisted - that has never been an option for me - lol - just that I could be walking around here bitter, pissed off, and not necessarily pleasant to be around.  They walked me out of that mindset - didn't happen overnight - but it did happen.  They are on the top of my list of things I GIVE THANKS for.

I'm in a mode to count my blessings - especially when I hit a wall that seems insurmountable - and I've hit quite a few this year.  And once I do so - another form of Giving Thanks - somehow whatever I need to move the mountain or turn it into a molehill, materializes.  

I am thankful for all the wonderful people I've met via Face Book - this has been one of the greatest portals for camaraderie ever; and I've learned so much!!!  Thanks for "friending" me!  I am thankful for  my Sorors in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc; for ATAC (Avenge The Ancestors Coalition) for keeping me engaged; for my Lincoln University classmates and Alumni. I'm thankful for having participated in so many wonderful activities over the past year - and having the privilege of meeting wonderful people like the ones who are reading this post.  

I am making a blessings list, but I daresay it will be much longer than this blog can accommodate - and, while I won't read it at the dining table during Thanksgiving, rest assured, it will be in my thoughts and in my heart. 

So I'm Happy to Give Thanks for each and every one of you, known and unknown ... 

HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY OF GIVING THANKS - FOCUS ON THE BLESSINGS AND THE FACT THAT YOU, YOURSELF, ARE A BLESSING AS WELL!!!

Stay Blessed & 
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria
  


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