Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
This is a short episode, I just wanted to come in here and share a poem with you all. It is a poem that will be published in the writing journal and was inspired by a quote written by Etty Hillesum. For those of you who don’t know, Etty was a young woman whose letters and diary entries have been published for the benefit of the rest of us. These writings describe her inspiring religious awakening, along with the growing persecutions of the Jews in Amsterdam.
The story of the first Thanksgiving is of the pilgrims and those who traveled with them, fleeing persecution, looking for freedom and a better life. They were all strangers to this land and were grateful to have survived that first year. They could not have done so without the help and generosity of the Native People who had been living on this land for countless generations.
On this Thanksgiving Day, may we remember the generosity of those who have come before, and heed the lessons of a painful past. May we, as a nation, dive deep into our humanity. In 1943, Etty Hillesum was sent to Auschwitz and killed in a concentration camp. Today, may all children be released from their cages.
I wish you all a wonderful and warm Thanksgiving, full of love, family, friends and peace.
Now for the poem.