The view from my front porch this morning

1. Truth: Everything You Learned About Thanksgiving Is Wrong (article on The New York Times). “Not to rain on our Thanksgiving Day parade, but the story of the first Thanksgiving, as most Americans have been taught it, is not exactly accurate.” The innocent, feel good narrative of Native Americans and Pilgrims celebrating and feasting together is a fairy tale that obscures the truth about how we treated and continue to treat indigenous people. To ignore that truth and stuff your face, to rejoice about all the things you are thankful for, to rest and relax in the company of friends and family without taking even a moment to honor the harm that has been done to enable your good fortune and recommit to doing better is just gross.

2. Truth: The mistreatment of indigenous people continues. For example, Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe welcomed Pilgrims, but loses land on eve of Thanksgiving. There are so many more examples it’s an exhausting, overwhelming, unrelenting consideration. In this context, what does “Make America Great Again” really mean? What does it mean to have a day — a national holiday — where we celebrate ourselves, give thanks for all that we have but completely ignore all the suffering we’ve caused?

3. Truth: We can and must do better. Just some simple suggestions are: How to Support Indigenous People on Thanksgiving, and How to Talk to Your Family About Racism on Thanksgiving, and 5 Tips For So-Called White Allies This Thanksgiving, and Meditation on Gratitude and Joy.

One wish: May we fully know and face the truth. May we make reparations, strive to heal the hurt, turn our effort toward undoing the damage and easing the suffering. May we experience the joy of good food and good company without the taint of greed and oppression. May we experience the gratitude of doing the right, just, honorable thing. May we ALL be truly free to experience life and liberty, to pursue happiness.

1. Truth: The way to do more is to do less of what you don’t want or need to do. I’m getting really really good at this. Of course, it requires a fully developed sophisticated sense of discernment and deep clarity about what I really want, because sometimes the choices I need to make aren’t obvious at all, and possibly complicated by external forces who want something entirely different from and for me.

2. Truth: Taking a pause before acting is usually a wise choice. I find if I act too quickly, I’m acting from a space of reactivity and possibly even confusion, rather than one of clarity, wisdom, and compassion. Of course, if something is on fire or someone is choking, there’s no time to pause, and taking immediate action can be the wisest choice in that case.

3. Truth: Rest is a necessary component of action, an essential counter. I know you might read that and think, “well duh,” but so often I seem to forget this. I go and go and go and go and don’t build in any time for rest and recovery. I go until I hit a wall, until I collapse and rest is no longer an option but rather is the only thing I can do, the only way I’ll be able to get back up, the necessary medicine and the magic.

One wish: May we have clarity about our path and know the right choices to make. May we act from a place of wisdom and compassion, clear seeing and love. May we pause and rest when we need it.