It is Thanksgiving Eve. The turkeys are cooking. The pumpkin pies are on the window sill to cool. Loved ones are coming home. Mylo is freshly groomed. Hopes are at their zenith. Anxious fears are gone. All will be well if we stick together.

Soon we will gather around the fireplace and tell tales. Victories won and lost. Health scares and health improvements. Romances rekindled as we placed another log on the fire. New jobs and new opportunities. Faith that has abided through the storm and sunlight. The family we have not seen in years. Relationships mended. Excitement renewed…

War surrounds us yet we are safe from the storm. Hate is outside our door but it has not been invited in. Hope for a better world. A world of love and acceptance inclusive as God intended. No more self immolation. No more yokes of guilt for being who we are. Freedom to love and be loved.

We have a sanctuary. Sticks and stones can not reach us here. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is on. The joyfulness of the performers is infectious. We want to dance with the Rockettes. Flying with the character balloons, we see the world clearly. Our fears are shadows. Our anger is misplaced. The Grand Experiment is love and joy, not fear and loathing.