Thankfulness, it’s all around
As I walked down Main Street in West Springfield one rainy Friday morning, my thoughts had been as numerous as the rain drops that were soaking my jacket. Since a good part of my 70 minute walk in the early hours of the day is spent in prayer, this particular morning I admitted to God that I felt I had spent very little of this time in sacred space. It was only a few moments after that realization I saw a young man walk out of a hotel with his young daughter. They had sweatshirts with the hoods tied tight, but no rain coats. It was beginning to rain even harder. The man took the little girl's hand. I could tell by the child's khaki pants that she was a student in the Springfield school system; this meant that they were going to have to walk on this cold rainy day over the North End Bridge to get to her school. She held tightly to her father's hand and kept pace with him. As they started over the bridge, a white car pulled up, stopping the traffic coming off the rotary and picked them up.
I became very conscience of my prayer at that moment. I was thankful that someone had picked them up this wet morning. I begin to imagine what the little girl might be thankful for, perhaps things such as a room with her Daddy that has a TV rather than having to live at a shelter. She may also be thankful for the opportunities to get breakfast and lunch at school. She's sure there will be something for supper; she's not sure what because there really isn't much of a kitchen in their new home, it didn’t matter as she'd be thankful because she'd have it with her Dad.
My prayer turned to the things I am thankful for...
having a home that is bigger than a room in the hotel that takes in the homeless;
the rain pouring down watering the earth, especially all the gardens that have been recently planted;
knowing I have choices for breakfast, lunch and supper as well as my sisters to share thoughts with when we break open our daily bread, in whatever form it comes to us in;
and for those who have picked me up when the world seems to be raining down soaking through the fabric of my life.
Thank you God. Bless this day for the little girl, her father and me.
