Thanksgiving, Sacrament and Psychology

"Thanksgiving" and "Eucharist" mean the same thing. Literally, "eucharist" means "good gift," the way to say "thank you" in Koine Greek, language of the New Testament.

So writes Bishop Daniel Martins reflecting on the gospel assigned for Thanksgiving Day in the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, I am the bread of life (John 6.35). I read this in the devotional quarterly Forward Day by Day, holding my paper cup of Hampton Inn coffee at a window looking out at dawn over Flowood, Mississippi. I reserve my first sip until I pray Psalm 51, "Lord, open Thou our lips, and my mouth shall proclaim Thy praise." The coffee, the prayer, the morning routine itself, is all a sacrament, a practice that is the outward and visible sign of an inward grace.


Now Bishop Martins has made clear how thanksgiving itself is a sacrament, tied to the central ritual of the church. The Bishop advised his readers that day to "make a special list of all the things for which you are particularly thankful this year."


I didn't need more convincing. Just last week, NPR had reported on an article about gratitude in the Harvard Medical School's Health journal. "In positive psychology research," the article reports, "gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness." For example, one experiment compared a group who listed what had made them grateful every week for 10 weeks, and one group who listed what had irritated them. "Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships." -Harvard Health website


Here's the list I scribbled at the bottom of that page. Happily, I find that all of them are covered on my blog, which has turned into an ongoing account of what makes me grateful:


I am grateful for 30 years of friendship with Jason, whose interest in cycling during his teen years drew me into that sport, too. Though I see him only twice a year, for bike rides at our respective birthdays, I think of him every single time I get on a bike. [Photo: Scenes from this year's Thanksgiving ride around the Ross Barnett Reservoir in Mississippi. Read more at My Cycling Page]

I am grateful for Susan, our Friday night walks to the Marietta Square for cocktails and dinner, her taking me to surgery, her being with me through my dog Mia's whole life to the last moments, and all the activities and talks that I summarized in my scrawl as "comfort, advice, amusement." [Photo: An evening out with Susan under a beautiful early autumn sky on Marietta Square at Shillings restaurant. Little did we know that the owners would soon retire and close the restaurant, separating us without warning from a community of waiters we've known for years.]

I am grateful for Suzanne, who, now living an hour away, keeps connected with me through concerts, meals, and texts. Now she's studying leadership -- as if she hadn't already demonstrated leadership in her work for a medical company, for my church, and for her choir. [Photo: Suzanne (left) in a concert cabaret to raise money for the Cathedral Choir, for which she managed catering and drinks.]

I am grateful for Mom's turn for the better this year, certainly thanks to the care and security of routine provided by the staff of Arbor Terrace and her Visiting Angels Laura, Denise, and others. [Photo: Mom's favorite photo, taken after fish tacos at 3 Amigos restaurant. Every week, same waiters, same food; every week, a pleasant surprise for Mom. Read more at my post, "Everything's Funny!" 09/2019

I am grateful for dogs. This year, Mia lived with pleasure and affection right up to her last days (see "Gratitude for Mia" 07/2019). Then I welcomed Brandy into my home, rescued from destruction by Our Pal's Place, who paid for her heartworm treatment. Fully recovered, she's an energetic and affectionate little being who practices gratitude every day. [Photo collage: Mia (left) in July 2019 and Brandy (lower right) very early in our new relationship. See more reflections on how dogs bless us at my page Loving Dogs]

I am grateful for the leadership team at our middle school -- especially Ira, David, Susan, and administrative assistant Terri. They're kind, and funny, and they're pushing me to keep growing after 39 years of teaching. I woke sweating from a dream of backing away from the challenge of descending a muddy cliff face, my principal Ira waiting in vain for me to follow through. In real life, I'd been a doubter when he announced that 7th grade teachers would spend a week with our classes at a camp, where zip-line and cliff-climbing would be among the activities. In the end, I felt the effort had been worth it, helping me to appreciate a different side to our kids, and maybe helping them to appreciate their teachers in a different way. [Photo: The climbing wall activity. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be, but I did it!]

I am thankful for NPR, whose programs I enjoyed on my drive to and from Mississippi, as I have enjoyed them every day for decades. Driving home, I heard Ira Flato's Science Fridays, which included a fun story about "face mites," stubby little worms with eight legs that populate every human body on the planet by the thousands. When the subject is politics, as it was that day for the program 1A, our hosts are polite and curious, much less emotionally involved than I would be.
[Photo: NPR is the soundtrack of life for me, and for both Susan and Brandy, pictured here at the start of a walk in the cemetery.]