AboutThanksgiving?

Dear Beloved Community

Thanksgiving worship is VERY meaningful to RantMom. RantMom has also been spared details of the muddle currently passing for Business Meeting decisions, and it is only out of respect for the process of business, not the ill-informed decisions that sometimes result, that RantWoman is making it clear to all and sundry that it would be VERY nice if someone were led to specificaly invite RantWoman, RantMom and such of the rest of the RantFamily as feel inclined to join whatever occurs for Thanksgiving.

Rantwoman's clarity about making this suggestion comes partly from what RantWoman reads as very dismissive notes about a disabilities committee and from various moments she is picking up incoversation.

RantWoman is perfectly well aware that this seeking provides the community an opportunity to reconsider its inability or unwillingness to include RantWoman in anything at Meeting except talking about dead people. RantWoman is also perfectly well aware that for many people holidays come fraught with abundant history of conflitive moments, but when people can stay centered, gifts occur.

RantWoman means elsewhere to spell out in the starkest terms possible some serious issues with separate and unequal opprotunities to worship AND to talk about dsability. In the meantime, in honor of  many points s where RantWoman has been TRYING to express gratitude, how about JUST INVITE RANTWOMAN TO THANKSGIVING amnd maybe make a point of listening harder for the gratitude points!

RantWoman applauds the energy of a Friend who has been lead to offer to help organize. RantWOman has visions of an relaxed affair where waht food comes is enough, where worship precedes a meal.  RantWoman offered to help weeks ago and  will be happuy to go onabout what help might look like.

RantWoman also wants a nice non-drama-filled celebration.

RantWoman wants the kind of celebration reflected in:

--the easy childhood nerdiness of looking at hydroelectric dam slides with beloved Great Aunt and Uncle

--high-school age holidays with an honorary grandfather who had been deafened by a stroke in his late 50's. He lived in a retirement community, smoked a pipe, always brought wine which never got completely drunk, and could lipread for hours with RantMom and talk for hours if RantWoman wrote a good question.

--RantDad's younger sister who had a fused hip, a transfer routine from wheelchar to car and a way to get into the RantFamily door even though there was a small step.

--RantWoman would also express gratitude that Little Sister's life has settled down enough and with enough ways to manage all her issues that there has not been a holiday 911 call in quite some time.

This year, RantWoman does not really see a path to include homeless people in any celebration--EXCEPT to note teh passing of "Stanley, Meeting's most enduring unhoused presence, not counting everyone in the community who is "housing insecure."

Finally, however RantWoman and RantFmaily wind up celebrating, we will be noting that RantDad would turn 85 this year, except that he lived only til past 60. RantWoman remembers Rantdad's 60th birthday. That year it fell on Thanksgiving. RantWoman surprised everyone by flying home and showing up on the doorstep. Flying ON thanksgiving is cheap and RantWoman cared more about the surprise than getting there in time to eat turkey. The surprise still makes RantWoman smile.

Do you have a story of a memorable Thanksgivng, especially one with disability as part of the picture? If so consider sharing the story as a comment.

In Light and Faithfulness.

RantWoman