It was our every other Thanksgiving when my family rents cabins at Wyandot Woods and enjoys a leisurely holiday.
The three days that we spent there were filled with everything that feeds my soul - bonfires at night, walks in the woods, laughter and games, fishing and boating with children, delicious food and times of reflection and solitude.
This was our fourth or fifth time coming here for Thanksgiving and it was wonderful for me. As I sat in the hot tub one early morning before anyone in my cabin was up I recognized that - like every other year - this one was different. Part of the difference is just the fact that we are all growing up and aging. So, I was with Chuck who is walking with a cane and spent more time reading and playing games than anything else. I remembered years before when we would go to Old Man's Cave or Conkle's Hollow.
The other cabin had the five grandchildren who range in age from 3 to 15. The older kids are fun and funny and more helpful than ever before. The "baby" Maggie was able to take the mile walk at Conkle's Hollow this year with only a little bit of it riding on her Dad Erik's shoulders.
We will be back in two years and it will be different again. We will be older and they will be older and who knows - maybe there will be changes in the family as new people arrive and some may leave. You never know what is happening next.
And that is, of course, the gift of impermanence. We know that this moment - this beautiful moment is here and is irreplaceable. This moment challenges me to be HERE. Can I experience it and cherish it? Not wish it away or try to recreate it later. But just be in it. And Grateful.
I read a quote from Richard Rohr today
If you are present, you will eventually and always experience the Presence
I am grateful for this time away with the people I love. There were moments of Presence for me that I will always cherish.
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