Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I was almost a
Thanksgiving Baby. That’s the earliest story of my life. At least it has always been my mother's interpretation of the events of those days, as she told them to me me any number of times, since when I was a child.
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| Me and My Parents, 1951-1952 |
The story is that my mom
began having labor pains Thanksgiving afternoon, November 22, 1951. My dad took
her straight to the hospital. She missed Thanksgiving dinner because of me. Her
obstetrician was sent for. He sent instructions that the nurses administer a
drug to slow down my mother’s labor. And so, I was born on November 24. It has always been my mom’s interpretation that her doctor gave her (and me) that drug to prevent
the interruption of his Thanksgiving vacation. But for that medical
malpractice, I should have been a Thanksgiving Baby.
I became one anyway. To
have uncles, aunts, grandparent, cousins, to be part of my birthdays, my
birthdays were celebrated on Thanksgiving. Turkey dinner became my birthday
feast. My mom would bake me a birthday cake, but I conspired with the Day,
because I loved pumpkin pie. A lot of my early birthday pictures show me
blowing out candles on a pumpkin pie. So, I am a Thanksgiving Baby whether I
was born on the Day, or not.
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| Turkey Looking into a Church Basement, 2010 |
In a way, perhaps, we
should all become Thanksgiving Babies. Our best life comes from the love, and
grace, and gifts, and sacrifice of God, in Christ. Our best life comes from the
birth of Jesus, his shouldering of our own sins and death, and his defeating of
death in the resurrection. We are infinitely loved. Everything has become a
gift: every day, every place, every one we love, or know, or meet.
Paul wrote: “Rejoice
evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will
of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) That’s the
best life for you and for me. Thanksgiving is the way to life, to joy, to
peace, to faith and hope. Thanksgiving is the way to love. Let’s all become
Thanksgiving Babies.
Grace and peace,
Dennis Evans
My son's due date was on Thanksgiving day, but he let me have a wonderful Thanksgiving and long weekend after. He was born on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving but his birthday is always close to Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteHe gave us a towel recently that said, "Eat, Drink And BE Thankful".
You are right, we should all be Thanksgiving Babies.