To Do: Gratitude and Food

Posted on by formerwriters

In my corner of the world, today is a day to give thanks. In honor of Thanksgiving, the element I am eternally most grateful for—my family. I’ve been inspired by their strength, knowledge, innovation, and motivation over this past year, which has been a tough one to say the least. But why is it, that we love our family so much? I wrote this poem to try to reason this reality and to express my everlasting appreciation for them. Possibly, others are feeling this same way as well.

{generations}
like the seeds of a thousand aspen trees,
the passing of time, light, and love,
grew and sustained life.

traveling in the company of the stars,
by chance or by fate, 
the future came to be ours.

us living beings are just the tip of the iceberg,
a dense mass of intuition upholds this glacier,
all passed down to us through mother nature,
family is much more than a nomenclature.

yet the questions ascend,
what is the reason we love our family to this end?

maybe because,
the same blood that runs through my veins,
ran for centuries before me,
and will continue to live on after me,
each generation passing down their stories,
like a medicine to inspire growth.
(that did, indeed, inspire growth.)

all of my ancestors survived long enough to procreate,
by some miracle,
which has led to me, 
a single pinnacle, 
with 7,500 generations of accrued instincts.

each of us playing our role,
in the dance of life and death,
and survival of our species,
it’s all come to surface with me,
and will continue on from me.

and that's something to be forever grateful.

--e.l. jayne

What does family mean to you? What are you grateful for?

Sending light and love to you and yours this holiday season.

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E.L. Jayne’s personal blog can be found here: http://www.poemsandprose.travel.blog

26 thoughts on “To Do: Gratitude and Food”

  1. Pingback: To Do: Gratitude and Food — Pointless Overthinking – Poems & Prose

  7. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and poem!!… family is important in whatever form it may take… hope you and yours have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with love and happiness!!.. 🙂

    What am I grateful for you ask?. a few thought I penned… 🙂

    Thanksgiving has arrived
    Another year as gone bye,
    Been busy chasing dreams
    Living life..time did fly,

    A time to contemplate the past
    A time to give thanks…they say,
    To relive treasured memories
    Of each and every passing day.

    Thanks for letting me feel love
    Be it joy, or be it heartache,
    To know someone’s love
    A treasured feeling their love did make.

    Thanks for letting me live life
    To explore, to follow one’s dream,
    To seek out and live every adventure
    Not enough time in the day… it did seem.

    Thanks for letting me meet friends
    To share thoughts of love, hope..perhaps a tear,
    And by going down the path together in friendship
    Doing away with hate, anger….and fear.

    Thanks for giving me the courage
    To follow my own path…to be me,
    To not follow someone else’s path
    To live my own….. reality.

    Thanks for giving me an open mind
    As I venture down the path… allowing me,
    To gaze upon life’s treasures, large and small
    That many others do not see.

    Thanks for giving me an open heart
    Able to love, understand and forgive,
    And when I grow too old to dream
    A place where my memories will live.

    Yes, I have much to be thankful for
    And every day the list gets longer… you see,
    As I venture down the path least traveled
    Searching for what destiny… has waiting for me.
    (Larry “Dutch” Woller)

    Reply

    1. Dutch, what a lovely poem, thank you so much for sharing! I love the bit about having an open mind—one to understand and forgive, one to see treasures in even the small things. And I do believe I have my family to thank for a bit of that for raising me to have an open mind and not be judgmental. Now only if I can be forgiving and not judgemental towards myself. 🙂 hope you and your family had a great thanksgiving!<3E

      Reply

  8. Beyond grateful for you in my family. Love you to the moon 🌙 and back 🌍!! Honored to be included in your writings 💜💜.
    Happy Thanksgiving 🧡🦃🧡🦃!!

    Reply

  10. Lovely.
    Much of my family is not by blood and yet my love for them is no less.. I can’t say what makes family but a toast ( which I belive has been used in many forms on tv and in movies ) – to those who’ve seen us at our best and worst and love us still as much.

    I’m thankful for all and to be here and find the joy in it. I hope you all may have such luck to be able to feel the same.

    Reply

    1. Yes some out of family may not be by blood but we love them just the same. I am thankful for being able to still find the joy in life even through this difficult year, and I definitely have my family to thank for that. hope you and your family had a great thanksgiving! <3E

      Reply

  13. It is amazing to think of the almost innumerable number of things that had to fall into place for us to be here, in this time, in this place, as part of the family we are. 😊

    This is a beautiful thing. Family is my rock, one that God has provided for me. I understand that family for some is different than the ties of blood and home. I will be forever thankful that mine were there for me when I was at my lowest ebbs, floundering to find the surface of the waves to breathe. I hope I can be the same for others when they need hope, a hug, or ears to listen. I’m commenting a bit later than thanksgiving, but peace to you and your family this festive season. Go well into 2021, my wonderful friend. ♥

    Reply
  14. Pingback: What’s passed on from one generation to the next? Privilege and pilgrimage. – Pointless Overthinking

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