Why is it that we’ve come to “give thanks” by sitting down together around a big meal? I suppose at its most basic level the Thanksgiving feast is a collective acknowledgement of survival – we made it through another year, another harvest. Isn’t it wonderful, miraculous even, that we are still alive, still together? Thanksgiving is certainly also a “stone soup” celebration of bounty in the face of (or perhaps as antidote to) scarcity. This pair of memes is the foundation of the “Pilgrim” narrative, redolent of the relief arising from momentarily escaping our many self-induced deprivations. But I really think it is something else, something more fundamental. Being grateful isn’t an end – what you do to be polite (and avoid retribution) after you get something – but rather a powerful means, part of an essential interpersonal continuum. Gratitude literally rekindles our hunger for the things in our lives that bring us happiness and, therefore, provides a practical tool, as well as a strong motivation, for getting more of them. I don’t mean in a gluttonous or avaricious way but in the ways that bind families, friends and communities together. When I really consider how thankful I am for the people in my life, I am not left satiated but rather filled with an intense desire to be with them – honestly, to get more of things they gave me that I am thankful for. Gratitude makes me ravenous for fellowship, fine company, emotional support, and love. Seen this way, gratitude must be as essential to the functioning of healthy human societies as, say, altruism is held to be. Being thankful, as a form of recollection, also extends a pleasant encounter or experience through time – like savoring another helping of your favorite side dish. Gratitude then is both the main course and the “hush puppy” that tides us over, gets us through, until the full banquet is spread. So no, I don’t think we simply added “thankfulness” to a festive celebration of bountiful harvests and good health. I think we feast together as a true manifestation of interdependence and in an attempt to satisfy gratitude’s profound claim on us as our primordial engine of belonging, integration, and comfort. So when’s dinner? You all are making me hungry!
Posted on: Thu, 27 Nov 2014 05:29:56 +0000
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