Thankful for

The middle history of Thanksgiving is curious.  i am not talking about the poorly documented 1621 encounter between natives and colonists.

Sarah Josepha Hale 1788 - 1879 Relentless, prolific, infle

Sarah Josepha Hale 1788 – 1879 Relentless, prolific, infle

Thanksgiving as the holiday we know can be credited to the Christian feminist Sarah Josepha Hale.  Hale has largely been vanished by the history books, but was an editor, activist, author, autodidact and lyricist.  She helped discover and was an early promoter of several great writers including Oliver Wendall Holmes and Edgar Allen Poe.  She wrote the lyrics to Mary had a Little Lamb.  She edited a highly influence magazine at the time for 40 years (an unusual occupation for a woman at the time).  She also lobbied 5 presidents to create Thanksgiving, ultimately succeeding with Lincoln.  Her intention was to create a Christian holiday that was recognized nationally, in this she failed despite Lincoln’s highly pious speech announcing the holiday.

In light of this and a couple of days late, i wanted to laundry list a few things that i am highly thankful for.

High functioning body – somehow with very little sleep and a poor feeding regiments i have energy to do all the engaging things i do.

high functioning body

Exotic and complicated family of choice – i dont know anyone who has a successful poly family by design from before conception.  Perhaps they are out there and i have not run across them.  But having more than two parents plus a community is the way to raise a child.  And i am thankful that this is what my life looks like.

Stars in Rome - Circa Nov 2013

Stars in Rome – Circa Nov 2013

Flexible and model life in community - My community work scene (like everyone who would like at Twin Oaks and Acorn) is extremely flexible.  i can run away occasionally for adventures, i can work mostly on things which i am really inspired by, i can do several different types of work each day and generally do.  And i can change my work scene if i tire of what i am doing.  This is lovely.

To the untrained eye - everything seems possible. To the trained eye, almost everything is.

To the untrained eye – everything seems possible. To the trained eye, almost everything is.

Political freedom to decent - i have friends who are activists in Russia and Egypt and honestly i dont think i could do it.  I could not function with the constant low or medium level fear that i was going to get dragged away and possibly disappeared.  I have lots of critiques about the US, but it does permit me the broad political freedom i need to be a critic of the state.

protest march

Affluent class background and white privileged - at the risk of getting lectured by someone who feels like i dont understand it well enough or am not doing enough to correct the oppression it represents, i am thankful that i dont have to worry about being questions and harassed by every other cop who passes me by or the dozens of other insults afforded non-whites in this often subtly racist culture.  i dont pause before i charge thru a ritzy hotel lobby or ballroom, despite my preposterous appearance.  i get that this privilege is unearned, i get that it comes with significant responsibility to push back on this oppression, including deep self reflection.  And i am still thankful for my station.

Every gift is an obligation.  i have a lot of work to do, give my good cards.  Work i am happy and thankful to do.