Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Despite its dubious history, it reminds me of the better aspects of living in the US, even in these turbulent times. This year is no different.

There is so much to be thankful for… The farmers who grew the food and raised the turkeys, I salute you. And a gentle hand across the table to thank my dear wife for her goodness and beauty and efforts.

When a tricky situation arises or a tough decision must be made, my wife often says, “Take it to the Wheel”.

The Wheel feels like a guidance system, pointing me in the right direction, in this complicated world. It feels intuitive to seek Balance, my Higher Purpose, and embrace Right Relationship.

The role of the Sacred Witness is so vital to me, yet we’re all being pulled toward the future by uncertainty and back to the past by echoes of pain and suffering. Cell phones and computers keep us out from that inner abyss, although for many it is a place of tranquility with no “dangerous shards” around to harm us.

I feel so fortunate to be working at the private school and I was thrilled to give a poetry class to some students recently. We did a free write and some of the angst I read later was rather poignant.

“Life is like a river of endless beauty
full of dangerous shards at the bottom
I drift like a leaf dancing upon the water’s surface
until I slip, and crash into the depths, enveloped…”