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Every year at Thanksgiving, a certain song reminds me of its existence, and gets serious airplay :-). It's the closest thing to a "grace" set to music I've ever heard, and as those celebrating American Thanksgiving prepare to spend Thursday with friends and family born and/or chosen, I'd like to share a bit of it with you tonight. The name of the song is May The Light Of Love, and it's off his CD Rising In Love. (There seems to be ::gasp:: no Youtube of this available, but you can hear a good chunk of the song at that second link and full lyrics at the first :-)).
As we come around to take our places at the table
A moment to remember and reflect upon our wealth
Here's to loving friends and family, here's to being able
To gather here together in good company and health
We don't usually say a nightly grace at Casa Brillig; if we do it's generally a "what made you happy today?" shared around the table. But on major holidays, we do. The Great Thanksgiving Incident of 2003 means I will likely never lead grace at Mr. Brillig's family's houses :-), but no matter who does and what they say, I give silent thanks for good friends, good family, and good health.
I look around at my DailyKos family, and see in all of you a great wealth. You enrich my life with wise words, good humor, sage advice, innumerable pootie pics, and friendships that mean more than I will ever be able to put into words. Attending Netroots Nation is more than a conference, it's a reunion of friends old, new and not yet made all in one.
May we be released from all those feelings that would harm us
May we have the will to give them up and get them gone
For heavy are the satchels full of anger and false promise
May we have the strength to put them down.
May we wish the best for everyone that we encounter
May we swallow pride and may we do away with fear
For it's only what we do not know that we have grown afraid of
And only what we do not choose to hear
From year to year different verses speak more or less insistently; this year these two stand out. From the scars of a bruising primary season to the raw recent wounds inflicted by passage of CA Prop. 8, we've all had a lot of hurt and anger to let go of. It is hard to wish the best for everyone, when we are not sure they return the sentiment. But in order to be true to the ideals that (I believe) we hold in common as Kossacks, liberals, and just plain good people, we must. Lay down your feelings toward those who were on the opposite side; or who lost on the same side as you.
To heed these words is hard to do. However, I can speak from wrenching personal experience this past year that the rewards of such action are many and good. I've been one who held grudges, carried them like lead bricks to weigh down relationships great and small. Who used words spoken in different times and under different circumstances to prejudice my reactions to present-day interactions. I HR'ed the commenter, not the comment, as it were :-).
I nearly lost someone dear as a result.
In repairing that relationship I let go of a great deal of accumulated Stuff. Took a hard look at my own actions that contributed to the breakdown. And promised to live up to being the best Me I can be. Funny thing is, multiple other relationships improved as a result, and I am far more blessed now than I was before. If I can do it, you can too :-).
As we bless our daily bread and drink our day's libation
May we be reminded of the lost and wayward soul
The hungry and the homeless that we have in every nation
May we fill each empty cup and bowl
As the Obama Administration begins the work of cleaning up the mess it's inherited, there are going to be a lot more hungry, lost people. This ought to be our Great Charge: to feed those who have none, to welcome home those who are lost, seeking or in need of our company.
May nothing ever come between or threaten to divide us
May we never take for granted all the gifts that we receive
Being ever mindful of the Unseen Hands that guide us
And the miracles that cause us to believe.
May nothing ever come between or threaten to divide us. Next time we are sniping at each other; next time the circular firing squad gathers round, remember these words, and withdraw from the assault. Doesn't mean we all have to agree 100% or sit around the Kossack Kampfire singing Kumbahyah, but it does mean we ought to try at the very least not to fan the flames. Be nice to each other, dammit, 'cause we're on the same side.
The chorus goes as follows:
May the Light of Love be shining deep within your spirit
May the Torch of Mercy clear the path and show the way
May the Horn of Plenty sound so everyone can hear it
May the Light of Love be with you
Every day
That's my Thanksgiving grace, in short form. Don't get too wrapped up in the language of spirituality (please!!), but do translate the words into whatever speaks to your heart this thanksgiving season, and take it with you wherever you go.
- - - - -
Now it's off to Top Comments! From the contents of the TC inbox it's clear many of you either are busy getting a head start on cooking the Feast, traveling, or perhaps getting rid of those few last dust
elephants bunnies prior to your relatives descending on you tomorrow. Here's what our intrepid few found:
From peace voter:
It seems that the news of Ann Coulter having her jaw wired shut was a religious experience of sorts for dave3172
From sardonyx:
In a diary passing on the news that Ann Coulter has a broken jaw, and with her mouth wired shut will have been silenced for the nonce, karpaty lviv points out the flaw in this conclusion.
From Yours Truly:
michael1104 answers diarist CornSyrupAwareness's question Who invented overdraft fees?"
In Inky99's diary Outrage! Mutilated vets told injuries aren't "combat related" FishOutOfWater shares a bit of the Pentagon's explanation. mmacdDE translates that even further.
owilde69 suggests the next secret weapon in Teh War On Teh Not-Special-Interest Party in occams hatchet's Teh Math: another leading cause of GOP failure. Hope I didn't ruin the surprise by nominating it :-).
Let's check Top Mojo! Brought to you by me, using the excel-to-mojo magic of sardonyx/cskendrick:
Top 30 Comments excluding search-identifiable tip jars, first comments and C&J:
1) No to Brennan by heart of a quince — 105
2) This was a major reason that war was not declared by yoduuuh do or do not — 99
3) I felt the same way, by crose — 90
4) Here's the Pentagon's side of the story: by FishOutofWater — 90
5) You missed my personal favorite by janmtairy — 89
6) I think High Speed Rail by Shirl In Idaho — 88
7) Money quote by kharma — 74
8) Yeesh by mcjoan — 72
9) and two more questios: by nailbender — 70
10) What about a hub and spoke system? by DailyDrew — 70
11) It should by TXsharon — 69
12) 6400 absentees should win it for Al by FishOutofWater — 68
13) Agreed by david mizner — 67
14) same here by aaraujo — 66
15) This reminds me of a picture by Sand in Florida — 63
16) PapaChach.... by Cronesense — 63
17) Here's Charlie's user page by nailbender — 61
18) Barbara and the ladies (sans Elizabeth) by Deoliver47 — 60
19) I'm so sorry for your loss by Troutfishing — 58
20) You know we're here by MaskedKat — 57
21) She talks from her ass, so it won't by karpaty lviv — 54
22) So you'd be fine with the people of California by AUBoy2007 — 51
23) I could get used to this smart president thing. by Angry Mouse — 51
24) a lonely walk indeed by PapaChach — 51
25) I'm on my way to a job interview today. by rogerdaddy — 51
26) California is way ahead of you by eugene — 51
27) In English it means screw the disabled vet by FishOutofWater — 51
28) Only $700K by GOP "strict constructionist" math by ludwig van brickoven — 50
29) And I meant to say by mcjoan — 50
30) I expect some tough question from Barbara Walters by Trix — 49
Top 30 (plus ties) Comments with no exclusions:
1) Tips for high speed rail! by beachmom — 502
2) Tips To Al Franken & His Team by StuHunter — 482
3) Tips n/t by Cenk Uygur — 426
4) Shaking my head, speechless .... by Inky99 — 392
5) Tips by John Campanelli — 305
6) tip jar n/t by Kula2316 — 268
7) thanks bruce by OrangeClouds115 — 250
8) Tips by turneresq — 244
9) Very, very sorry for your loss n/t by bwintx — 232
10) This is the most important blog post by TXsharon — 223
11) Thanks for your support. by Troutfishing — 194
12) tips for community nt by UnaSpenser — 192
13) Tips, hints, clues, etc........and thanks by WineRev — 187
14) what the fuck by OrangeClouds115 — 177
15) Tip jar by occams hatchet — 174
16) Tip Jar by PapaChach — 139
17) Central Misery Fostering Cheers by grog — 113
18) Tip jar by The Termite — 113
19) Tips for being grateful by Ellinorianne — 110
20) No to Brennan by heart of a quince — 105
21) This was a major reason that war was not declared by yoduuuh do or do not — 99
22) Have you contacted the ACLU? nt by nailbender — 90
23) I felt the same way, by crose — 90
24) Here's the Pentagon's side of the story: by FishOutofWater — 90
25) You missed my personal favorite by janmtairy — 89
26) I think High Speed Rail by Shirl In Idaho — 88
27) Cheers to Leno by Kitty — 76
28) Tuesday C&J from Elsewhere iM by stonepier — 74
29) Money quote by kharma — 74
30) Tip Jar by ATFILLINOIS — 72
31) Yeesh by mcjoan — 72