One Thanksgiving when I was still living in the Twin Cities, I found myself in the city without any place in particular to go for the holiday. It occurred to me that I might find a new way to celebrate the meaning of Thanksgiving. I decided to see if I could volunteer for the day at a soup kitchen or battered women’s shelter. While those places didn’t need my assistance at that time, the Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly program did need drivers to take some of their elderly members to a Thanksgiving church dinner. I was sent detailed instructions not only with the names and addresses of the three elderly ladies I was to drive to and from the dinner, but also directions for how to prepare my car, what to do in an emergency situation, and other precautions. Needless to say, I started to feel trepidation about what I had gotten myself into!
To my delight, all three ladies, though fragile, were wonderfully lively companions – one even corrected my driving when I made an illegal U-turn – and they regaled me all afternoon me with fascinating stories. When I dropped them off at their individual apartments late in the afternoon, one of them gifted me with a two-dollar bill.
That day I felt gifted with much more than two dollars. Perhaps, for the first Thanksgiving ever, I felt truly thankful…thankful to be able to help someone else and to bring joy and companionship to others. This charm therefore is dedicated to the spirit of Thanksgiving:
May all of your hopes, dreams and wishes come true.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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