"We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing." How many times over the past....well.....many, many years have I listened to this Thanksgiving song. When I was teaching general music my classes sang this song every November. And they learned the melody, and learned the lyrics, and sang it by rote, as children pretty much performed most of the songs we sang in the classroom. After all, how much insight and discussion can you pull out of second graders when dealing with the stilted prose and unfamiliar words of traditional old songs!
Still, I found myself humming the song today, and really not giving any more thought to the lyrics than my second graders did. But, the whole idea of Thanksgiving seemed to have a bigger impact today. Of course there are the interminable ads and commercials for Black Friday, and pre-Black Friday specials, with deals that will blow your socks off. Not to mention how a person can blow the whole holiday budget before anyone carves the turkey. And then there are the stores that are already fully sparkled and trimmed; and those that brag they will not apply one silver ball until the clock strikes midnight on Thanksgiving. Which may be about the same hour many intrepid shoppers will be heading out to stand in line at the big box stores.
At 16 Bars I'm thinking that this is a good time to slow down. What's the rush, after all! I'm taking time to appreciate the many gifts I've already been given. From my parents who gave me the opportunity to take piano lessons when I fought them all the way. Who knew, when I was in second grade, that as an adult, playing the piano and writing songs would be one of my greatest joys.
I'm thinking about the show that 16 Bars is about to open at the Herberger Theater Center, and how very much fun it is to watch a talented cast create a terrific show from words I put on the page. I'm thankful for my high school English teacher, Sister Kathleen, who required all that reading and writing back in the day.
And the family! The funny, sad, ridiculous, wonderful crazy hijinks of three fabulous sons, a silly little grandson, and a husband that is steady as a rock! You can just bet, I'm giving big-time thanks.
